The Battle of the Labyrinth: Perlia
by SharkAttack719
Summary: DISCONTINUED.
1. We Get Expelled From MS-54

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians' quotes and plot line. I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians characters. I am not Rick Riordan.**

**This is my fourth FanFic although my first one got reported for MST and the second one I put up for adoption. The third one is complete.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**Thanks for reading my story and if you have any comments or suggestions, review or private message me. If you do not like Perlia do not flame by sending me messages saying you don't like Perlia and random stuff like that.**

**Just in case you were wondering, the length of an update is according to the length of the chapters in the real book.**

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**A HEADS UP: There will be a Zoe story that I'm going to post. I'm just thinking of some ideas before I put up a vote for you to choose which story you want.**

Chapter 1: We Get Expelled From MS-54

**Thalia's POV**

Remember Percy's wish to not blow MS-54 up? Well... it came true. We didn't blow it up. The hellhound did.

It started a normal day at MS-54 with my boyfriend, Percy Jackson. In the morning, Sally, Percy's mom and my legal guardian, baked us blue chocolate-chip cookies for breakfast. I know what you're thinking: it's unhealthy. But they're just _soooo_good. Then she would drive us to school.

Lately, she's been working on finding a place where she can write and publish a novel. It's a dream worthy of Athena.

Anyway, back to the story, Percy and I walked into school like always. Over the winter and spring, Percy grew taller than me by a couple of inches so it didn't look awkward when we walked into school holding hands.

Like the usual treatment for a demigod, we didn't make any friends. We were also the oldest in the grade. Everyone else was born in 1994 whereas Percy was born in '93. Legally, I was born in '88, but I barely grew when I was a tree so I was the same age as Percy.

"I gotta go for Social Studies," Percy said. "See you then."

"Okay." I kissed him on the lips for a brief second and he walked down the left hall. I had Science down in the chemistry lab down the right hall. I sighed and went to class.

It was a boring lesson on something to do with space and stars. Even after four months of being here, I still don't get why science was always in the chemistry lab.

"Ms. Grace," Mrs. Atkinson said. I winced at the use of my mother's surname. "What is this constellation over here?"

I looked at it and immediately recognized it. "The Huntress."

"Yes. And why was it called the Huntress?" Mrs. Atkinson asked.

"The Greeks had a story where the goddess Artemis had a lieutenant of her Hunters, who was very worthy. Then one day, after thousands of years of service, she died and was put up in the sky as a memorial of Artemis' favorite lieutenant," I replied.

"Correct, except it wasn't thousands of years of service. It was hundreds of years," Mrs. Atkinson said.

I wanted to punch the lady and tell her I was right, but that'd just be rude. I knew that girl in person and she had served Lady Artemis for thousands of years. I just wish that I could see her constellation after being in Manhattan for many months now.

It seemed like forever, but one hour later, I got out of class.

Now, I had Math with Percy. I walked into the classroom to find Percy sitting in the back by himself. It was actually a good thing most kids avoided us because I always had a spot next to Percy in Math and English.

"Hey, Kelp Head." I sat down next to him.

"Hey, Pinecone Face."

I punched his shoulder. "I told you not to call me that."

"Well, you get to call me Kelp Head. If I didn't know if you were joking or not, I would take that as an insult. Besides, Annabeth lets me call her Wise Girl... before she became a Hunter," he said.

Annabeth Chase, my best friend, was now part of the Hunt. In fact, she was the lieutenant. We Iris-messaged her a few times between the Winter Solstice and now, telling her about our lives and asking about hers.

"Whatever, Kelp-for-Brains."

"Hey!"

"Students, sit down," Mr. Anderson said, coming into the room. "Today, we'll be learning about..."

The rest of class, Mr. Anderson kept talking about exponents. I won't go into details, but I could definitely say class was... uninteresting. I mean... I did pay attention and learn, but it was just boring. The only reason I was paying attention was because Annabeth rubbed off on me.

"Mr. Jackson," Mr. Anderson said. "What is the answer to this equation?" He pointed to a blurry question on the board.

Percy squinted at the board. "Sorry, sir. I can't. I have dyslexia."

A few snickers were spread around the room. Mr. Anderson apologized. "Sorry, Mr. Jackson. I forgot about that. The question is ten to the power of two multiplied by ten to the power of six."

Percy thought about it for a moment. "100,000,000."

"Correct. What is it in exponential form?"

"Ten to the power of eight."

"Good."

As Mr. Anderson asked someone else a question, I turned to Percy. "Hanging out with Annabeth, even if it's only two years, really rubs off on you, doesn't it."

He nodded. "Her egghead facts are just so annoying. I bet she's probably boring the Hunters right now."

I chuckled quietly.

It was all fun and games until I heard someone scream from outside, "A black furred lion!"

I turned to Percy. We both had the same thought. _Oh, no. Please don't be that._

Something cracked the wall facing the Columbus Avenue. Mr. Anderson ushered all of the students of out the classroom, except for us. The wall crumbled as a massive hellhound broke through the wall. It growled at us.

"We just got expelled," Percy said.

"Don't worry. It's not your fault. It's the hellhound's."

Together, we charged.

I tapped my bracelet and Aegis sprang to life on my arm. I opened my collapsible mace canister and my spear appeared in my hand. Percy uncapped his ballpoint pen, Riptide. We slashed and hacked at the hellhound, but it's claws prevented us from getting any lethal strikes in.

"Attack plan Macedonia!" Percy yelled.

"Alright," I yelled back. I backed off and let Percy distract the beast. I backed into a corner of the room and let Percy lure it to another corner. When Percy backed against the wall, I sprung into action.

I pointed my spear at the hellhound and yelled. A bolt of electricity shot from my spear and hit the hellhound. It howled. Then, I charged at the hellhound's side and jabbed at it with my spear. The spear lodged itself into the hellhound's leg. It turned toward me and swiped. I barely dodged it in time and it scraped my leather jacket.

As I did that, Percy snuck up on the hellhound's left side and stabbed it through the heart. With one last howl of pain, the hellhound burst into golden dust and glittered in the sunlight.

Percy and I high-fived and got our backpacks. We hopped out the hole in the wall as adults rushed into the destroyed room. A few, like Mr. Anderson, called us to get back. Most, however, like Principal Franklin yelled that we were expelled.

"When you go to school with me," Percy said, "you get used to it."

We walked back home. Paul was visiting. When we walked in, Paul frowned.

"Aren't you two supposed to be in school?"

Percy threw his bag on the floor near the entrance. I carried mine to my room.

"We got expelled," Percy said nonchalantly.

I walked to my room. I knew I could use the Mist to cover up the story, but Percy had told me to not use it unless it was to get our names off of the wanted list. Obviously, Mr. Anderson would tell them the truth about us not being responsible about the destruction, but rather a 'black furred lion.'

As I dropped my bag down, I got some new clothes out. One of my two leather jackets got ripped up today so I decided to wear my black Green Day hoodie. I put it on and walked back to the living room.

"Well, I have to go, Sally," Paul said. "And I'm sorry to hear they expelled you for something you didn't do."

"Oh, well," said Percy. "I'm used to it."

"See you later, Sally," Paul said.

"See you later, Paul."

Paul smiled and closed the door behind him. Sally locked the door and turned to us. "Which monster?"

"Hellhound."

Sally sighed. "Ah, well. At least you didn't get attacked as much."

I looked at her. "What do you mean _didn't get attacked as much_?"

"In January," she started, "I saw a couple of dracaena standing outside the school."

I was about to ask how she saw them, but I remembered that Sally was clear-sighted and could see straight through the Mist.

"Maybe they're thinking about how great we are at fighting," Percy boasted.

"Or... they could be flocking to Kronos' army in the west," I suggested.

"Yeah, probably that," Percy said.

Sally looked at us worriedly. "You make sure that you are safe when you go on dangerous quests."

"Don't worry, mom," Percy said. "We'll be fine."

"Oh you know that the quests are dangerous and you can die," she replied.

"Don't worry, Sally. I'll take good care of him," I said.

Sally turned to me as well. "You too, Thalia. You also need to be careful out there. I'm your legal guardian and I don't want you to die either. Besides, you're like a daughter-in-law to me."

If I had been drinking water, I would've done a spit take. Percy was drinking water. Water sprayed all over the living room couch.

"Daughter-_in-law_?" Percy asked wide-eyed.

"Not yet," Sally said, with a small smile on her face, as if she could tell the future.

"Mom!" Percy blushed.

I snapped out of my shock. "You really care for me a lot?"

"Of course."

I felt kind of uncomfortable because no one has ever cared for me this much, aside from Luke and Annabeth when we were on the run.

"Thanks, Sally," I said. "And you really consider me as part of the family?"

"Definitely," she replied.

"Thanks again, Sally."

She smiled at me and went to the kitchen, probably to start ideas for writing a new book. Percy grabbed my arm and tugged on it, indicating he wanted to go somewhere. I followed him.

He led me to the balcony, where we first became boyfriend and girlfriend. We looked down at the traffic of New York City and relaxed for a couple of hours.

"It's nice to see New York like this, rather than what it will be like when Kronos invades," I said.

Percy nodded. "We need to relax now, though."

As soon as Percy said that, an Iris-message appeared. Chiron and Clarisse were in the image. Clarisse wasn't exactly my favorite person, but she's reliable and brave in battle.

"Percy. Thalia," Chiron said. "We must briefly talk."

We nodded and motioned for him to continue.

"When one demigod came to camp earlier this spring, an Apollo camper, he noted that there were a lot more monsters roaming around New York than usual."

Percy and I looked at each other. _I thought Kronos would invite all monsters to be a part of his army?_

"But at the same time, Kronos is forming an army. To lead an invasion route straight into the heart of camp," Chiron continued, "through the Labyrinth."

I remembered Chiron muttering about the Labyrinth the night we got back to camp.

"I will tell you more when you get to camp in the summer, but a warning to you. There is an entrance to the Labyrinth near your mother's apartment so watch out for lingering monsters."

"Wait," Percy said. "Monsters could start appearing now? Does that mean the attack is soon?"

"No, but monster activity is going up," Clarisse said, a little shaky. "Believe me on that."

Percy and I shrugged. We may not completely like Clarisse, but she isn't much of a liar.

"Alright, Chiron," I said. "We'll keep an eye out."

Chiron nodded and swiped his hand through the mist. I turned to Percy.

"The Labyrinth. Invented by a guy named Daedalus, right?"

He shrugged. "I'm not a genius on that kind of topic. Don't ask me."

I shook my head. "Kelp Head."

"Pinecone Face."

"Seaweed Brain."

"Bird Brain."

"Barnacle Boy."

"Beautiful."

"Handsome."

We kissed for a few seconds before Sally interrupted us.

"Thalia. Percy. I made chocolate-chip cookies for us to enjoy."

Percy and I broke apart and glanced at each other.

We yelled simultaneously, "My cookies!"

I pushed Percy to my right and sprinted into the house. I made it to the living room when Percy tackled me to the ground. He started tickling my sides.

"Stop-stop... Percy!" I said, gasping for breath.

"The Tickle Monster is here," he said. "Oh, wait. I'm the Cookie Monster!"

He got up and ran to the kitchen.

"Hey! Not fair!" I yelled back and got up.

I ran into the kitchen and started eating the delicious chocolate-chip cookies. We laughed and joked around, having fun. Little did we know, our fun wasn't going to last very long.

**Hopefully you enjoyed this. Please review or private message me for suggestions and opinions.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**Check out my other stories. I recommend not viewing the 'Flash to the Past: Reading the Titan's Curse' one because it is discontinued.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

******A HEADS UP: There will be a Zoe story that I'm going to post. I'm just thinking of some ideas before I put up a vote for you to choose which story you want.**


	2. Goode Isn't So Good

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians' quotes and plot line. I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians characters. I am not Rick Riordan.**

**This is my fourth FanFic although my first one got reported for MST and the second one I put up for adoption. The third one is complete.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**Thanks for reading my story and if you have any comments or suggestions, review or private message me. If you do not like Perlia do not flame by sending me messages saying you don't like Perlia and random stuff like that.**

**Just in case you were wondering, the length of an update is according to the length of the chapters in the real book.**

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**A HEADS UP: There will be a Zoe story that I'm going to post. I'm just thinking of some ideas before I put up a vote for you to choose which story you want.**

Chapter 2: Goode Isn't So Good

**Thalia's POV**

Here we were. On Monday morning of the first week of June, Percy and I were sitting in Sally's car in front of Goode High School on East 81st.

Goode was this big brownstone building overlooking the East River. A bunch of BMWs and Lincoln Town Cars were parked out front. Staring up at the fancy stone archway, I wondered how long it would take us to get kicked out.

"Just relax," Sally said. "It's only an orientation tour. And remember, this is Paul's school. So try not to... you know."

"Destroy it?"

"Yes."

Paul Blofis, Sally's boyfriend, was standing out front, greeting future ninth graders as they came up the steps. With his salt-and-pepper hair, denim clothes, and leather jacket, he looked like some sort of TV actor, but he was just an English teacher. He'd managed to convince Goode High School to accept Percy for ninth grade, despite the fact that he'd gotten kicked out of every school he'd ever attended. With me, it was no problem because I didn't have any New York track record in schools.

Percy looked at his mom. "You haven't told him the truth about us, have you?"

She tapped her fingers nervously on the wheel. She was dressed up for a job interview- her best blue dress and high-heeled shoes.

"I thought we should wait," she admitted.

"So we don't scare him away."

"I'm sure orientation will be fine, Percy. It's only one morning."

"Great," Percy mumbled. "I can get expelled before I start the school year."

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "Are you two forgetting about me? I can use the Mist to cover it up."

"Whoops, sorry." My boyfriend started squirming, expecting me to shock him.

I rolled my eyes.

"Think positive. Tomorrow you're off to camp!" Sally exclaimed. "After orientation, you've got a date at the movies."

"That's the only good part about today," Percy said, hugging me.

"What movie are we going to watch?" I asked.

"I don't know. We'll have to see when we get there."

"Okay, but we're sitting in the back."

"Why?"

"Movie is too loud." I winked at him.

He grinned and his mom interrupted. "You guys better get inside. I'll see you two tonight."

Percy was about to open the door when he froze. I tried to see what was in his line of sight. I saw Paul Blofis greeting a girl with frizzy red hair. She wore a maroon T-shirt and ratty jeans decorated with marker drawings. When she turned, I caught a glimpse of her face. There were some freckles around her nose, like me.

"Percy?" his mom asked. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing," he stammered. "Does the school have a side entrance?"

"Down the block on the right. Why?"

"I'll see you later."

Sally started to say something, but Percy got out of the car and dragged me along, running.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

Percy was muttering, "What is _she_ doing here? Not even _my_luck can be this bad."

"Yeah, right," I snorted. "Your luck is horrible."

Percy stopped for a second, realizing I heard his muttering.

"Who is _she_anyway?" I asked him.

"Um... you'll see," said Percy.

**Percy's POV**

Sneaking into orientation didn't work out too well. Two cheerleaders in purple-and-white uniforms were standing at the side entrance, waiting to ambush freshmen.

"Hi!" They smiled, which I figured was the first and last time any cheerleaders would be that friendly to me or Thalia. One was blonde with icy blue eyes. The other was African American with dark curly hair like Medusa's (and believe me, I know what I'm talking about). Both girls had their names stitched in cursive on their uniforms, but with my dyslexia, the words looked like meaningless spaghetti.

"Welcome to Goode," the blonde girl said. "You are _so_going to love it."

But as she looked Thalia and I up and down, her expression said something more like, _Eww, who are these losers?_

The other girl stepped uncomfortably close to me. I studied the stitching on her uniform and made out _Kelli_. She smelled like roses and something else I recognized from riding lessons at camp- the scent of freshly washed horses. It was a weird smell for a cheerleader. Maybe she owned a horse or something. Anyway, she stood so close I got the feeling she was going to try to push me down the steps. "What's your name, fish?"

"Fish?"

"Freshman."

"Uh, Percy."

The girls exchanged looks.

"Oh, Percy Jackson," the blonde one said. She turned to Thalia. "What about you, finch?"

Thalia looked puzzled. "Isn't that some kind of bird?"

That sent a major _Uh-oh_chill down my back. Fish for the son of Poseidon and Finch, some kind of bird, for the daughter of Zeus. My hand crept instinctively toward my pocket, where I kept my lethal ballpoint pen, Riptide.

"Sorry, I meant freshman."

I almost had Riptide out. Thalia said, "Name's Thalia."

"Thalia Grace, right?"

Thalia's eyes widened. I pulled Riptide out of my pocket slowly.

Then another voice came from inside the building. "Percy? Thalia?" It was Paul Blofis, somewhere down the hallway. I'd never been so glad to hear his voice.

The cheerleaders backed off. I was so anxious to get past them I accidentally kneed Kelli in the thigh.

_Clang_.

Her leg made a hollow, metallic sound, like I'd just hit a flagpole.

"Ow," she muttered. "Watch it, _fish_."

I glanced down, but her leg looked like a regular old leg. I was too freaked out to ask questions. I dashed into the hall, pulling Thalia behind me and the cheerleaders laughing behind me.

"There you are!" Paul told us. "Welcome to Goode!"

"Hey, Paul- uh Mr. Blofis." I glanced back, but the weird cheerleaders had disappeared.

"Percy, you look like you've seen a ghost. Same goes to you, Thalia."

"Yeah, uh-" I started.

Paul clapped me on the back. "Listen, I know you're nervous, but don't worry. We get a lot of kids here with ADHD and dyslexia. The teachers know how to help."

I almost wanted to laugh. If only ADHD and dyslexia were my biggest worries. I mean, I knew Paul was trying to help, but if I told him the truth about me, he'd either think I was crazy or he'd run away screaming. Those cheerleaders, for instance. I had a bad feeling about them…

Then I looked down the hall, and I remembered I had another problem. The redheaded girl I'd seen on the front steps was just coming in the main entrance.

_Don't notice me_, I prayed.

She noticed me. Her eyes widened.

"Where's the orientation?" I asked Paul.

"The gym. That way. But-"

"Bye."

"Percy?" he called, but I was already running, dragging Thalia behind me.

I thought I'd lost her.

A bunch of kids were heading for the gym, and soon I was just one of three hundred fourteen-year-olds all crammed into the bleachers. A marching band played an out-of-tune fight song that sounded like somebody hitting a bag of cats with a metal baseball bat. Older kids, probably student council members, stood up front modeling the Goode school uniform and looking all, _Hey, we're cool_. Teachers milled around, smiling and shaking hands with students. The walls of the gym were plastered with big purple-and-white banners that said WELCOME FUTURE FRESHMEN, GOODE IS GOOD, WE'RE ALL FAMILY, and a bunch of other happy slogans that pretty much made me want to throw up.

None of the other freshmen looked thrilled to be here, either. I mean, coming to orientation in June, when school doesn't even start until September, is not cool. But at Goode, "We prepare to excel early!" At least that's what the brochure said.

The marching band stopped playing. A guy in a pinstripe suit came to the microphone and started talking, but the sound echoed around the gym so I had no idea what he was saying. He might've been gargling.

"Why do you keep yanking me like that?" Thalia asked me, rubbing her shoulder.

"Because-" I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" a voice said beside me.

It was her: my redheaded nightmare.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare," I said.

Her jaw dropped like she couldn't believe I had the nerve to remember her name. "And you're Percy somebody. I didn't get your full name last December when you tried to _kill_me."

"Kill her?" Thalia asked me.

"Look, I wasn't- I didn't... I was running away from those skeletons! But, what are _you_doing here?" I asked Rachel.

"Same as you and her, I guess. Orientation.

"You live in New York?"

"What, you thought I lived at the Hoover Dam?"

Thalia whispered into my ear, "So this is the clear-sighted girl?"

I nodded.

"And you met and the Hoover Dam?"

I nodded again. It had never occurred to me. Whenever I thought about her (and I'm _not_ saying I _thought_ about her, mainly because I was too busy _hanging_ _out_with Thalia), I always figured she lived in the Hoover Dam area, since that's where I'd met her. We'd spent maybe ten minutes together, during which time I'd accidentally swung a sword at her, she'd saved my life, and I'd run away chased by a band of supernatural killing machines. You know, your typical chance meeting.

Some guy behind us whispered, "Hey, shut up. The cheerleaders are talking!"

"Hi, guys!" a girl bubbled into the microphone. It was the blonde I'd seen at the entrance. "My name is Tammi, and this is like, Kelli." Kelli did a cartwheel.

Next to me, Rachel yelped like someone had stuck her with a pin. A few kids looked over and snickered, but Rachel just stared at the cheerleaders in horror. Tammi didn't seem to notice the outburst. She started talking about all the great ways we could get involved during our freshman year.

"Run," Rachel told me. "Now."

"Why?"

Rachel didn't explain. She pushed her way to the edge of the bleachers, ignoring the frowning teachers and grumbling kids she was stepping on.

I hesitated. Tammi was explaining how we were about to break into small groups and tour the school. Kelli caught my eye and gave me an amused smile, like she was waiting to see what I'd do. It would look bad if I left right now. Paul Blofis was down there with the rest of the teachers. He'd wonder what was wrong.

Then I thought about Rachel Elizabeth Dare, and the special ability she'd shown last winter at Hoover Dam. She'd been able to see a group of security guards who weren't guards at all, who weren't even human.

"Come," I told Thalia.

She didn't hesitate since she knew all about Rachel's clear-sightedness. My heart pounding, I got up and followed Rachel out of the gym, Thalia right behind me, once again.

We found Rachel in the band room. She was hiding behind a bass drum in the percussion section.

"Get over here!" she said. "Keep your head down!"

I felt pretty silly hiding behind a bunch of bongos, but I crouched down beside her.

"Did they follow you guys?" Rachel asked.

"You mean the cheerleaders?"

She nodded nervously.

"I don't think so," I said. "What are they? What did you see?"

Her green eyes were bright with fear. She had a sprinkle of freckles on her face that reminded me of Thalia, except the freckles was pretty much the only thing they seemed to have in common. Her maroon T-shirt read HARVARD ART DEPT. "You... you wouldn't believe me."

"Oh, yeah, I would," I promised. "I know you can see through the Mist."

Thalia elbowed my gut as Rachel asked, "The what?"

"The Mist. It's... well, it's like this veil that hides the way things really are. Some mortals are born with the ability to see through it. Like you."

Thalia elbowed me again and hissed, "What are you doing?"

I looked at her confused. Rachel was studying me carefully. "You did that at Hoover Dam. You called me a mortal. Like you're not."

I felt like punching a bongo. What was I thinking? Thalia was trying to warn me, but I never listen. I could never explain. I shouldn't even try. But I did anyway.

"Tell me," Rachel begged. "You know what it means. All these horrible things I see?"

"Look, this is going to sound weird. Do you know anything about Greek myths?"

Thalia sighed, sat down and started banging her head on the bongo.

"Like... the Minotaur and the Hydra?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, just try not to say those names when I'm around, okay? Or whenever Thalia's around either."

"We never got introduced," Rachel said to Thalia. Rachel stuck her hand out. "I'm Rachel Elizabeth Dare."

Thalia shook it meekly, still banging her head on the bongo. "Thalia Grace."

Rachel turned to me, "Friend?"

"Girlfriend," I corrected.

Rachel looked at me. Then at Thalia. Then at me. "What's wrong with her right now?"

"Well... I'm not supposed to be telling you this, but all of those monsters and Greek gods... they're real."

"I knew it!"

I would've been more comfortable if she'd called me a liar, but Rachel looked like I'd just confirmed her worst suspicion. Thalia would've been more comfortable if I didn't say anything at all, but Rachel deserved to know. She did save my life last December.

"You don't know how hard it's been," she said. "For years I thought I was going crazy. I couldn't tell anybody. I couldn't-" Her eyes narrowed. "Wait. Who are you? I mean _really_?"

"I'm not a monster."

"Well, I know that. I could _see_if you were. You look like...you. But you're not human, are you?"

I swallowed. Even though I'd had three years to get used to who I was, I'd never talked about it with a regular mortal before, except for my mom, but she already knew. I don't know why, but I took the plunge.

"We're half-bloods," I said pointing to Thalia. "We're half human."

"And half what?"

Thalia said quietly to us. "Uh-oh. We've got company."

Just then, Tammi and Kelli stepped into the band room. The doors slammed shut behind them.

"There you are, Percy Jackson," Tammi said. "Thalia Grace as well. It's time for your orientation."

**Thalia's POV**

"They're horrible!" Rachel gasped.

Tammi and Kelli were still wearing their purple-and-white cheerleader costumes, holding pom-poms from the rally.

"What do they really look like?" Percy asked, but Rachel was too stunned to answer.

"Oh, forget her." Tammi smiled at Percy and started walking toward us. Kelli stayed by the doors, blocking our exit.

They'd trapped us. I knew we'd have to fight our way out, but Tammi kept distracting Percy. I opened my mace canister and my spear appeared. I swiped at Tammi and she jumped away, sneering. That knocked Percy out of his trance. He uncapped Riptide and a three-foot-long bronze sword grew in his hands.

"They're here to bite you Percy. I don't know why they want to kill me, but they're afraid of you," I told Percy.

"I'll take Kelli, you get Tammi," he said.

I nodded and tapped my bracelet. It spiraled out into Aegis and I charged Tammi. Tammi dodged and swiped, but I could tell she was just a trainee.

Then she began to change. The color drained out of her face and arms. Her skin turned as white as chalk, her eyes completely red. Her teeth grew into fangs.

"A vampire!" Percy stammered. Then he looked at her legs. Below the cheerleader skirt, her left leg was brown and shaggy with a donkey's hoof. Her right leg was shaped like a human leg, but it was made of bronze. "Uhh, a vampire with-"

"Don't mention the legs!" Tammi snapped. "It's rude to make fun!"

"A vampire, you say?" Kelli laughed. "That silly legend was based on _us_, you fool. We are _empousai_, servants of Hecate."

While Kelli told us they were empousai, I forgot about Tammi and she had inched her way over to Percy. She was moving toward him, baring her fangs. Percy was paralyzed and didn't move. I charged my spear and shot electricity at her. She tried to dodge, but it hit her and she exploded into dust all over the room.

Rachel coughed. She looked like she'd been sprayed with golden glitter. "Gross!"

"Monsters do that," I said. "Sorry."

"You killed my trainee!" Kelli yelled. "You need a lesson in school spirit, half-bloods!"

The she too began to change. Her wiry hair turned into flickering flames. Her eyes turned red. She grew fangs. She loped toward us, her brass foot and hoof clopping unevenly on the band-room floor.

"I am a senior _empousa_," she growled. "No hero has bested me in a thousand years."

"Yeah?" Percy said. "Then you're overdue!"

Kelli was a lot faster than Tammi. She dodged Percy's first strike and rolled into the brass section, knocking over a row of trombones with a mighty crash. Rachel scrambled out of the way. Percy and I put ourselves between her and the _empousa_. Kelli circled us, her eyes going from Percy and me to our weapons.

"Such pretty weapons. I see you have Medusa over there," she said. "What a shame it stands between us."

Her form shimmered- sometimes a demon, sometimes a pretty cheerleader. I didn't need to focus, but Percy did.

"Poor dear." Kelli chuckled. "You don't even know what's happening, do you? Soon, your pretty little camp in flames, your friends made slaves to the Lord of Time, and there's nothing you can do to stop it. It would be merciful to end your life now, before you have to see that."

From down the hall, I heard voices. A tour group was approaching. A man was saying something about locker combinations. I sounded a lot like Paul.

I _empousa_'s eyes lit up. "Excellent! We're about to have company!"

She picked up a tube and threw it at us. We ducked. The tuba sailed over our heads and crashed through the window.

The voices in the hall died down.

"Percy!" Kelli shouted, pretending to be scared, "why did you throw that?"

"We have to get out of here!" I said to Percy and Rachel.

Kelli picked up a music stand and swiped a row of clarinets and flutes. Chairs and musical instruments crashed to the floor. "Thalia! What are you doing?"

"Stop it!" Percy and I said.

People were tromping down the hall now, coming in our direction.

"Time to greet our visitors!" Kelli bared her fangs and ran for the doors. I got prepared to use the Mist. I'm lucky Chiron showed it to me otherwise we'd be in deep shit. Like I expected, Percy fell for the trick. He charged at her with Riptide.

"Percy, don't!" Rachel shouted. But he hadn't realized what Kelli was up to until it was too late.

Kelli flung open the doors. Paul Blofis and a bunch of freshmen stepped back in shock. Percy raised his sword.

At the last second, the _empousa_turned toward him like a cowering victim. "Oh no, please!" she cried. Percy couldn't stop his blade. It was already in motion.

Just before the celestial bronze hit her, Kelli exploded into flames like a Molotov cocktail. Waves of fire splashed over everything. I yanked Percy back as flames engulfed the doorway.

"Percy? Thalia?" Paul looked completely stunned, staring at me from across the fire. "What have you done?"

Kids screamed and ran down the hall. The fire alarm wailed. Ceiling sprinklers hissed to life. I stepped forward and snapped my fingers.

"Paul Blofis, Percy, Rachel and I did not cause this fire. Kelli, a cheerleader did and she jumped through the window," I said.

Paul woke up from his temporary trance. "Percy! Thalia! Are you okay? I'll get the paramedics!"

"No, Paul!" Percy shouted. "We're going to the summer camp now. It's safe there. Mom has lots of friends there. We'll be safe!"

"All right!"

We turned and sprinted for the broken band room window.

**LINEBREAK**

We burst out of the alley onto East 81st. It was a beautiful day, the sun shining brightly in the summer sky. To be honest, ever since I started dating Percy, I like being outside more than I did previously.

Percy and I stopped right out of the alley. Rachel came charging out of the alley, yelling, "Percy! Thalia, wait up!"

We turned around to Rachel.

"You two are in so much trouble," she said. "And you still owe me an explanation! I mean, shooting electricity from a spear!"

Police sirens wailed on FDR Drive.

"I want to know more about half-bloods," Rachel insisted. "And monsters. And this stuff about the gods." She grabbed Percy's arm, whipped out a permanent marker, and wrote a phone number on my hand. "You two are always together. One of you is going to call me and explain, okay? You owe me that. Now get going."

"But-"

"I'll tell them the whole story about it being Kelli's fault." She turned to me. "And you also better explain that finger-snap thing."

She ran back toward the school, leaving Percy and me in the street.

"Looks like we gotta go to camp," he said.

"Looks like it," I sighed. "I was looking forward to the movie."

"Yeah."

"For the first time, you're right."

"Hey! That's mean!"

I ignored that comment. "Rachel can be annoying sometimes."

We kept walking to York Avenue. Percy looked back one more time and Goode High School. I turned around as well and saw smoke billowing up from Goode. In the dark column of ashes, I thought I could almost see a face-a she-demon with red eyes, laughing at me.

_Your pretty little camp in flames_, Kelli had said. _Your friends made slaves to the Lord of Time_.

Percy turned toward me with a pained expression. It must be hard to have a fatal flaw of personal loyalty. "We have to get to Camp Half-Blood. _Now._"

**Hopefully you enjoyed this. Please review or private message me for suggestions and opinions.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**Check out my other stories. I recommend not viewing the 'Flash to the Past: Reading the Titan's Curse' one because it is discontinued.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**A HEADS UP: There will be a Zoe story that I'm going to post. I'm just thinking of some ideas before I put up a vote for you to choose which story you want.**


	3. Prank Calls From the Underworld

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians' quotes and plot line. I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians characters. I am not Rick Riordan.**

**This is my fourth FanFic although my first one got reported for MST and the second one I put up for adoption. The third one is complete.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**Thanks for reading my story and if you have any comments or suggestions, review or private message me. If you do not like Perlia do not flame by sending me messages saying you don't like Perlia and random stuff like that.**

**Just in case you were wondering, the length of an update is according to the length of the chapters in the real book.**

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**A HEADS UP: There will be a Zoe story that I'm going to post. I'm just thinking of some ideas before I put up a vote for you to choose which story you want.**

Chapter 3: Prank Calls From the Underworld

**Percy's POV**

Nothing caps off the perfect morning like freaking out a taxi driver by receiving an Iris-message.

The lucky things was that we were already on Farm Road, so there were no cars around. We were around the place where lightning struck Gabe's old Camaro few years back. The taxi driver had fainted so Thalia had to stop the car and listen to whoever called us.

When we looked at the Iris-message, a blonde girl wearing a silvery parka smiled sheepishly at us. Her grey eyes bored into us. "Sorry."

"Hey, Annabeth," Thalia said. "Thanks for ruining our transportation."

"Sorry."

"It's okay," I chuckled. "We're not that far away from camp. What did you want to tell us?"

"I convinced the Hunters to stay around San Francisco for the past six months. Monsters are really attracted to Mount Tam and you can easily see a evil looking castle made of Mist, up there... if you're a Hunter, monster or demigod. Luke isn't up there, I know that for sure," Annabeth reported. "Also, I got a message from Grover saying that he arrived back at camp a couple days ago. You better go see what's wrong because she didn't seem too happy."

We nodded.

"Any word about Nico?" Thalia asked.

Annabeth shook her head. "I couldn't find a good excuse to try to find Nico without telling Artemis about his parentage. It's weird. I _should_be able to find an excuse. Anyway, good luck with trying to find out about the Labyrinth."

She swiped her hand through the mist before I could ask her how she knew about the Labyrinth. As if reading my mind, Thalia said, "She's Annabeth. What did you think?"

As we got out of the car, the air shimmered next to us, again. This time, my mom appeared in the screen.

"Mom?" I pointed at the Iris-message. "How'd you..."

"I have spare drachmas at home, but Paul called me and told me about a crazy Molotov-cocktail-throwing cheerleader at school and that you were going to camp," she said.

"Yeah. We're sort of in a hurry, but the mains points of the story are, Rachel Elizabeth Dare shows up, we meet _empousa_, we kill one, and another explodes into fire, burning the school," I summarized.

"As long as you're safe," my mom sighed. "Take care." She swiped her hand through the mist.

Thalia and I hiked the rest of the way to camp.

"Where do you think Kelli is now?" I asked randomly.

"I dunno. Probably wherever Luke is?" Thalia responded.

"Do you still... not hate Luke?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean... although Annabeth is a Hunter, she doesn't hate Luke..."

Thalia frowned. "She doesn't hate him? Hunters are supposed to hate all boys, right?"

"Yeah, but... never mind. I've just known Annabeth for quite a while now and I can tell her emotions," I replied. "But do you hate him?"

Thalia shook her head. "I don't hate him. But I haven't forgiven him for his actions. He just joins the Titans' side when it's taught that the Age of the Titans was horrible for humans. And then... according to Annabeth told me, he said that I would join Kronos' side just because my dad never paid attention to me. But I realize now that he did. He sent Amaltheia for me. He also answered my prayer at the Hoover Dam."

I nodded, but my mind drifted off. As if an invisible presence was forcing me to, I couldn't help but wonder what life would be like if Thalia and I never liked each other, and Annabeth and I did instead...

The presence made me look down at my hand. I saw the number that Rachel put down on my hand. I don't know why, but I was tempted to call her.

_Anguish. Indecision. Oh, you just wait._I remembered Aphrodite's words as clearly as looking through glass.

_Shut up, Aphrodite_, I said in my head.

_Oh, you just wait. It's coming very soon_, a giggly voice said in my head.

Thalia sighed. "Sometimes, I wish I could just go back to the old days. Just me, Luke and Annabeth before all of this Titan madness. Of course we would have you as well, but this war is just horrible."

I didn't say anything and kept walking. We reached the crest of the hill where the young guardian dragon was dozing, coiled around the pine tree. But he lifted his coppery head as we approached and let me scratch under his chin. Steam hissed out his nostrils like from a teakettle, and he went cross-eyed with pleasure.

"Hey, Peleus," I smiled. "Keeping everything safe?"

The last time I'd seen the dragon he'd been six feet long. Now he was at least twice that, and as thick around as the tree itself. Above his head, on the lowest branch of the pine tree, the Golden Fleece shimmered, its magic protecting the camp's borders from invasion. The dragon seemed relaxed, like everything was okay. Below us, Camp Half-Blood looked peaceful- green fields, forest, shiny white Greek buildings. The four-story farmhouse we called the Big House sat proudly in the midst of the strawberry fields. To the north, past the beach, the Long Island Sound glittered in the sunlight.

Still...something felt wrong. There was tension in the air, as if the hill itself were holding its breath, waiting for something bad to happen.

We walked down into the valley and found the summer session in full swing. Most of the campers had arrived last Friday, so I already felt out of it. The satyrs were playing their pipes in the strawberry fields, making the plants grow with woodland magic. Campers were having flying horseback lessons with Silena Beauregard, swooping over the woods on their pegasi. Smoke rose from the forges, and hammers rang as kids made their own weapons for Arts & Crafts. The Athena and Demeter teams were having a chariot race around the track, and over at the canoe lake some kids in a Greek trireme were fighting a large orange sea serpent. A typical day at camp.

As we made our way through camp, we said hi to some of our friends. In the Big House's driveway, Connor and Travis Stoll from the Hermes cabin were hot-wiring the camps SUV. Silena Beauregard, the head counselor for Aphrodite, waved at us from her Pegasus as she flew past. I said hi to Charles Beckendorf, who was stoking the forge outside the armory, just like he was doing in the winter. We tried looking for Grover, as Annabeth said he was at camp, but we couldn't find him anywhere.

"Eh, well. I'm going to the sword arena," I said. "You can join me if you want."

Thalia shrugged. "There's not much to do yet. I might as well."

We walked into the sword arena and froze. My heart almost stopped because in the middle of the arena floor, with its back to me, was the biggest hellhound I'd ever seen.

I mean, I've seen some pretty big hellhounds. One the size of a rhino tried to kill me when I was twelve. But _this_hellhound was bigger than a tank. I had no idea how it had gotten past the camp's magic boundaries. It looked right at home, lying on its belly, growling contentedly as it chewed the head off a combat dummy. It hadn't noticed us yet, but if we made a sound, I knew it would sense us. Unfortunately, I made a noise; I stepped on a branch and it snapped, alerting the hellhound. It's ears perked up and it stared at us. It barked. I decided it was now or never, and I charged at the hellhound. It started skittering backward, which seemed odd to me. As I brought the blade down on the monster's enormous backside, but out of nowhere, another sword blocked my strike.

_CLANG!_

"_WOOF!_" barked the hellhound.

I jumped back and instinctively struck at the swordsman- a grey-haired man in Greek armor. He parried my attack with no problem.

"Whoa there!" he said. "Truce!"

"_WOOF!_" The hellhound's bark shook the arena.

Thalia came up behind us. "That's a hellhound." She pointed at the enormous black dog.

"She's harmless," the man said. "That's Mrs. O'Leary."

I blinked. "Mrs. O'Leary?"

At the sound of her name, the hellhound barked again. I realized she wasn't angry. She was excited. She nudged the soggy, badly chewed target dummy toward the swordsman.

"Good girl," the man said. With his free hand he grabbed the armored manikin by the neck and heaved it toward the bleachers. "Get the Greek! Get the Greek!"

Mrs. O'Leary bounded after her prey, shaking the arena. She pounced on the dummy, flattening its armor, and began chewing on its helmet.

The swordsman smiled dryly. He was in his fifties. I guess, with short grey hair and a clipped grey beard. He was in good shape for an older guy. He wore black mountain-climbing pants and a bronze breastplate strapped over an orange camp T-shirt. At the base of his neck was a strange mark, a purplish blotch like a birthmark or tattoo, but before I could make out what it was, he shifted his armor straps and the mark disappeared under his collar.

"Mrs. O'Leary is my pet," he explained. "I couldn't let you stick a sword in her rump, now, could I? That might have scared her."

"Who are you?"

"Promise not to kill me if I put my sword away?"

"I guess."

He sheathed his sword and held out his hand. "Quintus."

I shook his hand. It was as rough as sandpaper.

"Percy Jackson," I said.

Then, Quintus held his hand out to Thalia. She shook it and said, "Thalia Grace."

"Pleased to meet you," Quintus replied back.

"Sorry about-How did you, um-"

"Get a hellhound for a pet? Long story, involving many close calls with death and quite a few giant chew toys. I'm the new sword instructor, by the way. Helping out Chiron while Mr. D is away."

"Oh." I tried not to stare as Mrs. O'Leary ripped off the target dummy's shield with the arm still attached, and shook it like a Frisbee. "Wait, Mr. D is away?"

"Yes, well... busy times. Even Dionysus must help out. He's gone to visit some old friends. Make sure they're on the right side. I probably shouldn't say more than that."

If Dionysus was gone, that was the best news I'd had all day. He was only our camp director because Zeus had sent him here as a punishment for chasing some off-limits wood nymph. He hated the campers and tried to make our lives miserable. With him away, this summer might actually be cool. On the other hand, if Dionysus had gotten off his butt and actually started helping the gods recruit against the Titan threat, things must be looking pretty bad.

Off to my left, there was a loud _BUMP_. Six wooden crates the size of picnic tables were stacked nearby, and they were rattling. Mrs. O'Leary cocked her head and bounded toward them.

"Whoa, girl!" Quintus said. "Those aren't for you." He distracted her with the bronze shield Frisbee.

The crates thumped and shook. There were words printed on the sides, but with my dyslexia they took me a few minutes to decipher:

**TRIPLE G RANCH**

**FRAGILE**

**THIS END UP**

Along the bottom, in smaller letters: **OPEN WITH CARE. TRIPLE G RANCH IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE, MAIMING, OR EXCRUCIATINGLY PAINFUL DEATHS.**

Thalia took a little less time to decipher it. "What's in the boxes?" she asked.

"A little surprise," Quintus said. "Training activity for tomorrow night. You'll love it."

"Uh, okay," I replied, though I wasn't sure about the 'excruciatingly painful death' part.

Quintus threw the bronze shield, and Mrs. O'Leary lumbered after it. "You young ones need more challenges. They didn't have camps like this when I was a boy."

"You- you're a half-blood?" I didn't mean to sound surprised, but I'd never seen an old demigod before.

Quintus chuckled. "Some of us _do_survive into adulthood, you know. Not all of us are the subject of terrible prophecies."

"You know about my prophecy?"

"I've heard a few things."

I wanted to ask _what_few things, but just then Chiron clip-clopped into the arena. "Percy! Thalia! There you two are!"

He must've just come from teaching archery. He had a quiver and bow slung over his #1 CENTAUR T-shirt. He'd trimmed his curly brown hair and beard for the summer, and his lower half, which was a white stallion, was flecked with mud and grass.

"I see you've met our new instructor." Chiron's tone was light, but there was an uneasy look in his eyes. I glanced at Thalia to see if she picked it up. She gave a slight nod. Chiron continued, "Quintus, do you mind if I borrow Percy and Thalia?"

"Not at all, Master Chiron."

"No need to call me 'Master'," Chiron said, though he sounded sort of pleased. "Come, Percy. Thalia. We have much to discuss."

I took one more glance at Mrs. O'Leary, who was now chewing off the target dummy's legs.

"Well, see you," Thalia told Quintus.

I said bye as well.

As we were walking away, I whispered to Chiron and Thalia, "Quintus seemed kind of-"

"Mysterious?" Chiron suggested. "Hard to read?"

"Yeah."

Chiron nodded. "A very qualified half-blood. Excellent swordsman, I just wish I understood..."

Whatever he was going to say, he apparently changed his mind. "First things first. I got an Iris-message from your mother about the _empousai_."

"How many drachmas does my mom have?" I asked myself.

"A lot," Chiron replied. "Anyway, tell me about the story."

Thalia and I told him about the fight at Goode, and how Kelli had exploded into flames.

"Mm," Chiron said. "The more powerful ones can do that. She did not die, Percy. She simply escaped. It is not good that the she-demons are stirring."

"What were they doing there?" I asked. "Waiting for me? Waiting for Thalia?"

"It is highly unlikely that they were expecting Thalia as _empousai_feed on male heroes," Chiron said. "You are very lucky that you survived. Their powers of deception... almost any male hero would've fallen under their spell and been devoured."

"Luck has never been on my side," I grumbled.

"Yeah. He would've been devoured if not for my fighting skills and Rachel's clear-sightedness," Thalia replied. "We were actually lucky because I'm pretty sure that they would've killed us since we weren't prepared."

Chiron nodded. "Ironic to be saved by a mortal, yet we owe her a debt. What the _empousa_said about an attack on camp- we must speak of this further. But for now, come, we should get to the woods. Grover will want you there."

"Where?" I asked.

Thalia asked, "Through the Labyrinth?" at the same time.

"To Thalia, we'll discuss this further later. To Percy, at his formal hearing," Chiron said grimly. "The Council of Cloven Elders is meeting now to decide his fate."

* * *

Chiron said we needed to hurry, so we hitched a ride on his back. Last summer when Thalia popped out of the tree, I hitched a ride on his back, but it was just me. I didn't see exactly how Chiron could gallop with two of us on his back, but he managed.

As we galloped past the cabins, I glanced at the dining hall- an open-air Greek pavilion on a hill overlooking the sea. It was the first time I'd seen the place since last winter, and it brought back bad memories.

Chiron plunged into the woods. Nymphs peeked out of the trees to watch us pass. Large shapes rustled in the shadows- monsters that were stocked in here as a challenge to the campers.

I thought I knew the forest pretty well after playing capture the flag her for two summer, but Chiron took us a way I didn't recognize, through a tunnel of old willow trees, past a little waterfall, and into a glade blanketed with wildflowers. I looked back and by the look on her face, I could tell she'd never seen this place either.

In the glade, a bunch of satyrs were sitting in a circle in the grass. Grover stood in the middle, facing three really old, really fat satyrs who sat on topiary thrones shaped out of rose bushes. I'd never seen the three old satyrs before, but I guessed they must be the Council of Cloven Elders.

Grover seemed to be telling them a story. He twisted the bottom of his T-shirt, shifting nervously on his goat hooves. He hadn't changed much since last winter, maybe because satyrs age half as fast as humans. His acne had flared up. His horns had gotten a little bigger so they just stuck out over his curly hair. I realized with a start that I was taller than he was now.

Standing off to one side of the circle were Clarisse and another girl I'd never seen before. Chiron dropped Thalia and I next to them.

Clarisse's stringy brown hair was tied back with a camouflage bandanna. If possible, she looked even buffer, like she'd been working out. She glared at me and mutter, "Punk," which must've meant she was in a good mood. Usually she says hello by trying to kill me. She turned to Thalia, "Punk girl."

It looked a little awkward, but Clarisse patted the other girl on the shoulder. The other girl looked like she'd been crying. She was small- petite, I guess you'd call it -with wispy hair the color of amber and a pretty, elfish face. She wore a green chiton and laced sandals, and she was dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. "It's going terribly," she sniffed.

I knew Clarisse wasn't very good at comforting people so I decided to help her instead. "No, no. It's all right. Grover will be fine."

She turned to me. "Hi. I don't think I've met you. I'm Juniper."

"Percy." I shook her hand. "And don't worry, Grover's the bravest satyr I know. He'll be fine."

Truthfully, I had no clue what the Hades the satyrs were talking about, but I thought it had something to do with his searcher's license. Or maybe with Pan speaking in his mind.

Juniper and Thalia introduced themselves. Juniper said that she was Grover's girlfriend, but I thought I heard wrong. Grover with a girlfriend? Then I looked at Juniper more closely, and I realized her ears were slightly pointed. Her eyes, instead of being red from crying, were tinged green, the color of chlorophyll. She was a tree nymph- a dryad.

"Master Underwood!" the council member on the right shouted, cutting off whatever Grover was trying to say. "Do you seriously expect us to believe this?"

"B-but Silenus," Grover stammered. "It's the truth!"

The Council guy, Silenus, turned to his colleagues and muttered something. Chiron cantered up to the front and stood next to them. I remembered he was an honorary member of the council, but I'd never thought about it much. The elders didn't look very impressive. They reminded me of the goats in a petting zoo- huge bellies, sleepy expressions, and glazed eyes that couldn't see past the next handful of goat chow. They definitely lived up to their title. They were elderly, that's certain. I wasn't sure why Grover seemed so nervous.

Silenus tugged his yellow polo shirt over his belly and adjusted himself on his rosebush throne. "Master Underwood, for six months- _six months_-we have been hearing these scandalous claims that you heard the wild god Pan speak."

"But I did!"

"Impudence!" said the elder on the left.

"Now, Maron," Chiron said. "Patience."

"Patience, indeed!" Maron said. "I've had it up to my horns with this nonsense. As if the wild god would speak to...to _him_."

Juniper looked like she wanted to charge the old satyr and beat him up, but Thalia and Clarisse held her back. "Wrong fight, girlie," Clarisse muttered. "Wait."

I was utterly surprised. Clarisse, who was a daughter of Ares and loved violence, just held someone back from a fight.

"For six months," Silenus continued, "we have indulged you, Master Underwood. We let you travel. We allowed you to keep your searcher's license. We waited for you to bring proof of your preposterous claim. And what have you found in six months of travel?"

"I just need more time," Grover pleaded.

"Nothing!" the elder in the middle chimed in. "You have found nothing."

"But, Leneus-"

Silenus raised his hand. Chiron leaned in and said something to the satyrs. The satyrs didn't look happy. They muttered and argued among themselves, but Chiron said something else, and Silenus sighed. He nodded reluctantly.

"Master Underwood," Silenus announced, "we will give you one more chance."

Grover brightened. "Thank you!"

"One more week."

"What? But sir! That's impossible!"

"One more week, Master Underwood. And then, if you cannot prove your claims, it will be time for you to pursue another career. Something to suit your dramatic talents. Puppet theater, perhaps. Or tap dancing."

"But sir, I—I can't lose my searcher's license. My whole life—"

"This meeting of the council is adjourned," Silenus said. "And now let us enjoy our noonday meal!"

The old satyr clapped his hands, and a bunch of nymphs melted out of the trees with platters of vegetables, fruits, tin cans, and other goat delicacies. The circle of satyrs broke and charged the food. Grover walked dejectedly toward us. His faded blue T-shirt had a picture of a satyr on it. It read GOT HOOVES?

"Hi, Percy," he said, so depressed he didn't even offer to shake my hand.

"That went well, huh?"

"Those old goats!" Juniper said. "Oh, Grover, they don't know how hard you've tried!"

"There is another option," Clarisse said darkly.

"No. No." Juniper shook her head. "Grover, I won't let you."

His face was ashen. "I—I'll have to think about it. But we don't even know where to look."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

In the distance, a conch horn sounded.

Clarisse gave the dark look to me. "I'll tell you later, Prissy. We'd better get back to our cabins. Inspection is starting."

* * *

It didn't seem fair that I'd have to do cabin inspection when I just got to camp, but that's the way it worked. Every afternoon, one of the senior counselors came around with a papyrus scroll checklist. Best cabin got first shower hour, which meant hot water guaranteed. Worst cabin got kitchen patrol after dinner.

The problem for me: I was usually the only one in the Poseidon cabin, and I'm not exactly what you would call neat. The cleaning harpies only came through on the last day of summer, so my cabin was probably just the way I'd left it on Thalia's birthday: my candy wrappers and chip bags still on my bunk, my armor for capture the flag lying in pieces all around the cabin.

Lucky Thalia brought _all_of her belongings from Cabin One, except for those pictures of her, Annabeth and Luke. Basically, her cabin was spotless and clean.

I race toward the commons area, where the twelve cabins- one for each Olympian god -made a U around the central green. The Demeter kids were sweeping out theirs and making fresh flowers grow in their window boxes. Just by snapping their fingers they could make honeysuckle vines bloom over their doorway and daisies cover their roof, which was totally unfair. I don't think they ever got last place in inspection. The guys in the Hermes cabin were scrambling around in a panic, stashing dirty laundry under their beds and accusing each other of taking stuff. They were slobs, but they still had a head start on me.

Over at the Aphrodite cabin, Silena Beauregard was just coming out, checking items off the inspection scroll. I cursed under my breath. Silena was nice, but she was an absolute neat freak, the worst inspector. She liked things to be pretty. I didn't do 'pretty.' I could almost feel my arms getting heavy from all the dishes I would have to scrub tonight.

The Poseidon cabin was at the end of the row of 'male god' cabins on the right side of the green. It was made of gray shell-encrusted sea rock, long and low like a bunker, but it had windows that faced the sea and it always had a good breeze blowing through it.

I dashed inside, wondering if maybe I could do a quick under-the-bed cleaning job like the Hermes guys, and I found my half-brother Tyson sweeping the floor.

"Percy!" he bellowed. He dropped his broom and ran at me. If you've never been charged by an enthusiastic Cyclops wearing a flowered apron and rubber cleaning gloves, I'm telling you, it'll wake you up quick.

"Hey, big guy!" I said. "Ow, watch the ribs. The ribs."

I managed to survive his bear hug. He put me down, grinning like crazy, his single calf-brown eye full of excitement. His teeth were as yellow and crooked as ever, and his hair was a rat's nest. He wore ragged XXXL jeans and a tattered flannel shirt under his flowered apron, but he was still a sight for sore eyes. I hadn't seen him in almost a year, since he'd gone under the sea to work at the Cyclopes' forges.

"You are okay?" he asked. "Not eaten by monsters?"

"Not even a little bit." I showed him that I still had both arms and both legs, and Tyson clapped happily.

"Yay!" he said. "Now we can eat peanut butter sandwiches and ride fish ponies! We can fight monsters and see Annabeth and make things go BOOM!"

I completely forgot that I forgot to tell Tyson that Annabeth joined the Hunters.

"Listen buddy," I told him. "You know Artemis?"

He nodded. "Goddess of Hunt, yes."

"Annabeth joined her group of Hunters," I said. I waited for the tears to come, but they never did.

I looked at Tyson, but he was just staring at the door.

"Tyson?" I asked him.

"Scary, but pretty," I pointed at the door.

I turned to find Thalia leaning against the door frame. "Hey, Kelp Head," she said. She nodded at Tyson. "Hello Tyson."

"She knows my name," Tyson said. I smiled. He was completely infatuated with another pretty girl. It's always funny to have a childish brother who can be smart at times.

"Now we can eat peanut butter sandwiches, ride fish ponies, fight monsters and make things go BOOM with Thalia!"

"I'd prefer not to ride 'fish ponies'," said Thalia.

Tyson frowned, "Why not?"

"Daughter of Zeus. Ocean makes me nauseous," she replied. Oooh. Wrong answer.

"I will teach you! Come on!" He dragged Thalia out of the cabin and ran to the canoe lake.

I laughed until I realized it was inspection time. I looked around, ready to throw all the stuff under my bunk when I realized Tyson had been busy. The floor was swept. The bunk beds were made. The saltwater fountain in the corner had been freshly scrubbed so the coral gleamed. On the windowsills, Tyson had set out water-filled vases with sea anemones and strange glowing plants from the bottom of the ocean, more beautiful than any flower bouquets the Demeter kids could whip up.

"Whoa, how'd you do this Tyson?" I asked a not-present Tyson.

I looked up and saw a herd of miniature bronze hippocampi hung on wires from the ceiling, so it looked like they were swimming through the air. I couldn't believe Tyson, with his huge hands, could make things so delicate. Then I looked over at my bunk, and I saw my old shield hanging on the wall.

"He fixed it!"

Last winter, the shield had been badly damaged in a manticore attack. But now it was perfect again- not a scratch. All the bronze pictures of my adventures with Tyson and Annabeth in the Sea of Monsters were polished a gleaming. I didn't know how to thank Tyson for all of this.

Then somebody behind me said, "Oh, my."

Silena Beauregard was standing in the doorway with her inspection scroll. She stepped into the cabin, did a quick twirl, then raised her eyebrows at me. "Well, I had my doubts. But you clean up nicely, Percy. I'll remember that."

She winked at me and left the room.

**Thalia's POV**

Tyson dragged me out of the cabin and led me to the canoe lake.

"Uh, it's okay, Tyson." I tried thinking of excuses, but I wasn't Annabeth.

"I'll show you how not to be nauseous," he said. He stopped for a second and closed his eyes. After ten seconds, he said, "Daddy says you can fall in the water without going BOOM!"

I knew that. In fact, I was there when Poseidon vouched for me.

"Yeah, I know, but I just don't think-"

Tyson whistled and two hippocampi swam to the shore. One was considerably larger than the other and Tyson went over and patted it. "Hey, Rainbow," he said.

I reluctantly got onto a hippocampi and it started swimming away from the shore. Rainbow and Tyson were right on my hippocampus' heels... err, rather tail, but you know what I mean. So far, I wasn't nauseous. Technically, I was lying when I said I got nauseous on the water. It was just that I had bad experiences with swimming.

My ignorant mother brought me to a beach once. She went to flirt with guys to get over her many-year heartbreak of when my father left us. I went into the water, but Poseidon dragged me out into more open waters. After a couple of minutes, the current dragged me to one of those floating playground things they have at some beaches.

Later, when I got back to shore, Zeus spoke in my mind to comfort me from Poseidon's 'wrath'.

I snapped back to reality, oh there goes gravity. I tumbled into the water as I lost my balance from daydreaming. When I opened my eyes, I saw fish underwater and they seemed a little alarmed. I could tell what they were thinking: _Daughter of Zeus! Daughter of Zeus! Stay clear!_

My lungs were screaming, desperate for air. I knew I couldn't last much longer without oxygen. Then, I felt a current start to drag me toward the surface. Tyson and Rainbow appeared to my left. He grabbed me, and pulled me up to the surface.

As we broke through, I coughed and spluttered. Tyson whistled again, and the hippocampus that I dropped off of stared at me as if saying _Whoops._I got back on and we pounded through the waves to shore.

"See," Tyson said. "You didn't go BOOM!"

I cracked a smile. Tyson was really nice.

As we got back to shore, I saw Percy sitting on the beach watching us.

"Hey," he grinned. "Look who decided to take a dip."

"Shut up, Kelp Head," I snapped.

Percy just chuckled and touched my arm. I could feel all of the water draining out of my leather jacket, but it was ruined. That taught me to actually take care of my jackets.

I sighed and went back to my cabin. Tyson and Percy hung out by the door while I changed my jackets. I put my leather jacket below Zeus' statue and took out an army jacket. I changed my shirt from a Green Day one to a Death to Barbie shirt (yes I can have clothes that aren't Green Day).

When I went back out, Percy and Tyson were talking about Cyclopes' forges and the palace of Poseidon.

"Oh, hey Pinecone Face," Percy said. "There you are."

"Here I am," I replied.

"Tyson wants to show Beckendorf something. You're invited."

"Sure. Why not?"

We went down to the forge and helped Beckendorf from the Hephaestus cabin with his metalworking. Tyson showed us how he'd learned to craft magic weapons. He fashioned a flaming double-bladed war axe so fast even Beckendorf was impressed.

While he worked, Tyson talked more about his year under the sea. His eye lit up when he described the Cyclopes' forges and the palace of Poseidon, but he also told us how tense things were. The old gods of the sea, who'd ruled during the Titan times, were starting to make war on Percy and Tyson's father. When Tyson had left, battles had been raging all over the Atlantic. I felt kind of sad because I wanted to know what Poseidon's palace looked like... before it gets destroyed by Oceanus.

"Lots of bad people above the sea, too," Tyson said. "We can make them go boom."

After the forges, we went back to the canoe lake. Somehow, we managed to get on the topic of Grover. I couldn't help but feel bad for him. Finding the lost god Pan had been his lifelong goal. His father and his uncle had both disappeared following the same dream. Last winter, Grover had heard a voice in his head: _I await you_- a voice he was sure belonged to Pan- but apparently his search had led nowhere. If the council took away his searcher's license now, it would crush him.

"Clarisse said that there was another way," I asked. "What is it?"

Tyson piped up. "Another way to find lost god?"

"Yeah," Percy replied.

"I heard something that had to do with Labyrinth," Tyson said.

Percy and I glanced at each other. The Labyrinth. It popped up again. I remember the stories of people going insane in the Labyrinth and how you would be considered extremely lucky to get out of there without being insane.

"The Labyrinth," I said. "It would be dangerous. Especially for Grover."

Tyson murmured. "Goat boy scares me."

I stared at him. Tyson made flaming double-bladed axes and he was scared of Grover.

Percy asked, "Why would you be scared of Grover?"

"Hooves and horns," Tyson muttered nervously. "And goat fur makes my nose itchy."

And that pretty much ended our Grover conversation.

**Percy's POV**

Thalia said she wanted to take care of some things so Tyson and I went down to the sword arena. Quintus was glad to have company. He still wouldn't tell me what was in the wooden crates, but he did teach me a few sword moves. The guy was good. He fought the way some people play chess—like he was putting all the moves together and you couldn't see the pattern until he made the last stroke and won with a sword at your throat.

"Good try," he told me. "But your guard is too low."

He lunged and I blocked.

"Have you always been a swordsman?" I asked.

He parried my overhead cut. "I've been many things."

He jabbed and I sidestepped. His shoulder strap slipped down, and I saw that mark on his neck—the purple blotch. But it wasn't a random mark. It had a definite shape—a bird with folded wings, like a quail or something.

"What's that on your neck?" I asked, which was probably a rude question, but you can blame my ADHD. I tend to just blurt things out.

Quintus lost his rhythm. I hit his sword hilt and knocked the blade out of his hand. He rubbed his fingers. Then he shifted his armor to hide the mark. It wasn't a tattoo, I realized. It was an old burn…like he'd been branded.

"A reminder." He picked up his sword and forced a smile. "Now, shall we go again?"

He pressed me hard, not giving me time for any more questions. While he and I fought, Tyson played with Mrs. O'Leary, who he called the 'little doggie.' They had a great time wrestling for the bronze shield and playing _Get the Greek_. By sunset, Quintus hadn't even broken a sweat, which seemed kind of strange; but Tyson and I were hot and sticky, so we hit the showers and got ready for dinner.

I was feeling good. It was almost like a normal day at camp. Then dinner came, and all the campers lined up by cabin and marched into the dining pavilion. Most of them ignored the sealed fissure in the marble floor at the entrance—a ten-foot-long jagged scar that hadn't been there last summer— but I was careful to step over it.

"Big crack," Tyson said when we were at our table. "Earthquake, maybe?"

"No," I said. "Not an earthquake."

I wasn't sure I should tell him. It was a secret only Thalia and Grover and I knew. But looking in Tyson's big eye, I knew I couldn't hide it from him.

"Nico di Angelo," I said, lowering my voice. "He's this half-blood kid we brought to camp last winter. He, uh…he asked me to guard his sister on a quest, and I failed. She died. Now he wants to revive her."

Tyson frowned. "So he put a crack in the floor?"

"These skeletons attacked us," I said. "Nico told them to go away, and the ground just opened up and swallowed them. Nico…" I looked around to make sure no one was listening. "Nico is a son of Hades."

Tyson nodded thoughtfully. "The god of dead people."

"Yeah."

"So the Nico boy is gone now?"

"I—I guess. Thalia and I tried to search for him this spring. So did Annabeth with the Hunters. But we didn't have any luck. This is secret, Tyson. Okay? If anyone found out he was a son of Hades, he would be in danger. You can't even tell Chiron."

"The bad prophecy," Tyson said. "Titans might use him if they knew."

I stared at him. Sometimes it was easy to forget that as big and childlike as he was, Tyson was pretty smart. He knew that the next child of the Big Three gods—Zeus, Poseidon, or Hades—who turned sixteen was prophesied to either save or destroy Mount Olympus. Most people assumed that meant me, but if I died before I turned sixteen, the prophecy could just as easily apply to Thalia or Nico.

"Exactly," I said. "So—"

"Mouth sealed," Tyson promised. "Like the crack in the ground."

* * *

I had trouble falling asleep that night. I lay in bed listening to the waves on the beach, and the owls and monsters in the woods. I was afraid once I drifted off I'd have nightmares.

See, for half-bloods, dreams are hardly ever just dreams. We get messages. We glimpse things that are happening to our friends or enemies. Sometimes we even glimpse the past or the future. And at camp, my dreams were always more frequent and vivid.

So I was still awake around midnight, staring at the bunk bed mattress above me, when I realized there was a strange light in the room. The saltwater fountain was glowing.

I threw off the covers and walked cautiously toward it. Steam rose from the hot salt water. Rainbow colors shimmered through it, though there was no light in the room except for the moon outside. Then a pleasant female voice spoke from the steam: _Please deposit one drachma_.

I looked over at Tyson, but he was still snoring. He sleeps about as heavily as a tranquilized elephant.

I didn't know what to think. I'd never gotten a collect Iris-message before. One golden drachma gleamed at the bottom of the fountain. I scooped it up and tossed it through the mist. The coin vanished.

"O, Iris, Goddess of the rainbow," I whispered. "Show me…Uh, whatever you need to show me."

The mist shimmered. I saw the dark shore of a river. Wisps of fog drifted across black water. The beach was strewn with jagged volcanic rock. A young boy squatted at the riverbank, tending a campfire. The flames burned an unnatural blue color. Then I saw the boy's face. It was Nico di Angelo.

He was throwing pieces of paper into the fire—Mythomagic trading cards, part of the game he'd been obsessed with last winter. Nico was only ten, or maybe eleven by now, but he looked older. His hair had grown longer. It was shaggy and almost touched his shoulders. His eyes were dark. His olive skin had turned paler. He wore ripped black jeans and a battered aviator's jacket that was several sizes too big, unzipped over a black shirt. His face was grimy, his eyes a little wild. He looked like a kid who'd been living on the streets.

I waited for him to look at me. No doubt he'd tell me to go away, for intruding on his personal matters. But he didn't seem to notice me. I stayed quiet, not daring to move. If he hadn't sent this Iris-message, who had?

Nico tossed another trading card into the blue flames. "Useless," he muttered. "I can't believe I ever liked this stuff."

"A childish game, master," another voice agreed. It seemed to come from near the fire, but I couldn't see who was talking.

Nico stared across the river. On the far shore was black beach shrouded in haze. I recognized it: the Underworld. Nico was camping at the edge of the river Styx.

"I've failed," he muttered. "There's no way to get her back."

The other voice kept silent.

Nico turned toward it doubtfully. "Is there? Speak."

Something shimmered. I thought it was just firelight. Then I realized it was the form of a man—a wisp of blue smoke, a shadow. If you looked at him head-on, he wasn't there. But if you looked out of the corner of your eye, you could make out his shape. A ghost.

"It has never been done," the ghost said. "But there may be a way."

"Tell me," Nico commanded. His eyes shined with a fierce light.

"An exchange," the ghost said. "A soul for a soul."

"I've offered!"

"Not yours," the ghost said. "You cannot offer your father a soul he will eventually collect anyway. Nor will he be anxious for the death of his son. I mean a soul that should have died already. Someone who has cheated death."

Nico's face darkened. "Not that again. You're talking about murder."

"I'm talking about justice," the ghost said. "Vengeance."

"Those are not the same thing."

The ghost laughed dryly. "You will learn differently as you get older."

Nico stared at the flames. "Why can't I at least summon her? I want to talk to her. She would…she would help me."

"I will help you," the ghost promised. "Have I not saved you many times? Did I not lead you through the maze and teach you to use your powers? Do you want revenge for your sister or not? Revenge on Percy Jackson?"

I didn't like the ghost's tone of voice. He reminded me of a kid at my old school, a bully who used to convince other kids to do stupid things like steal lab equipment and vandalize the teachers' cars. The bully never got in trouble himself, but he got tons of other kids suspended.

Nico turned from the fire so the ghost couldn't see him, but I could. A tear traced its way down his face. "Very well. You have a plan?"

I stared in horror. The ghost convinced Nico that I was to blame for Bianca's death.

"Oh, yes," the ghost said, sounding quite pleased. "We have many dark roads to travel. We must start—"

The image shimmered. Nico vanished. The woman's voice from the mist said, _Please deposit one drachma for another five minutes_.

There were no other coins in the fountain. I grabbed for my pockets, but I was wearing pajamas. I lunged for the nightstand to check for spare change, but the Iris-message had already blinked out, and the room went dark again.

The connection was broken.

I stood in the middle of the cabin, listening to the gurgle of the saltwater fountain and the ocean waves outside.

Nico was alive. He was trying to bring his sister back from the dead. And I had a feeling I knew what soul he wanted to exchange—someone who had cheated death. Someone who caused Bianca's death. Revenge. Vengeance.

Nico di Angelo would come looking for me.

**Hopefully you enjoyed this. Please review or private message me for suggestions and opinions.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**Check out my other stories. I recommend not viewing the 'Flash to the Past: Reading the Titan's Curse' one because it is discontinued.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**A HEADS UP: There will be a Zoe story that I'm going to post. I'm just thinking of some ideas before I put up a vote for you to choose which story you want.**


	4. We Find the Entrance to the Labyrinth

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians' quotes and plot line. I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians characters. I am not Rick Riordan.**

**This is my fourth FanFic although my first one got reported for MST and the second one I put up for adoption. The third one is complete.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**Thanks for reading my story and if you have any comments or suggestions, review or private message me. If you do not like Perlia do not flame by sending me messages saying you don't like Perlia and random stuff like that.**

**Just in case you were wondering, the length of an update is according to the length of the chapters in the real book.**

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear. It would be awesome if you guys could tell what mistakes there are so that I can fix them to make the story clearer. Thanks.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**A HEADS UP: There will be a Zoe story that I'm going to post. I'm just thinking of some ideas before I put up a vote for you to choose which story you want.**

Chapter 4: We Find the Entrance to the Labyrinth

**Thalia's POV**

The next morning there was a lot of excitement at breakfast.

At around three in the morning an Aethiopian drakon had been spotted at the borders of camp. I didn't really help with getting rid of the drakon, but I got up and watched other campers get it, like watching a movie without popcorn. The magical boundaries had kept the monster out, but it prowled the hills, looking for weak spots in our defenses, and it didn't seem anxious to go away until Lee Fletcher from Apollo's cabin led a couple of his siblings in pursuit. After a few dozen arrows lodged in the chinks of the drakon's armor, it got the message and withdrew.

"It's still out there," Lee warned us during announcements. "Twenty arrows in its hide, and we just made it mad. The thing was thirty feet long and bright green. It's eyes-" he shuddered.

_That_made him scared? Try having an army of Hades' minions chase after you. At least there weren't any of Poseidon's minions otherwise Annabeth and Luke would've died with me.

"You did well, Lee," Chiron patted him on the shoulder. "Everyone stay alert, but stay calm. This has happened before."

"Aye," Quintus said from the head table. "And it will happen again. More and more frequently."

The campers murmured among themselves.

Everyone knew the rumors: Luke and his army of monsters were planning an invasion of the camp. Most of us expected it to happen this summer, but no one knew how or when. It didn't help that we had few campers. We only had about eighty campers. Compared to Kronos' army, we were the size of a bee hummingbird compared to a North African Ostrich. Don't ask how I knew that.

Yesterday, when I told Percy and Tyson that I was going to do some things, I actually went to Clarisse and Chiron and asked them about the Labyrinth and a whole bunch more things. I learned that:

a) An entrance to the Labyrinth cannot be destroyed

b) To get out you must find the mark of Daedalus, which is a Greek Delta

c) Being in there can drive you insane

d) And that there's an entrance in camp. It's just not known.

I shuddered as I remembered the sight of Chris Rodriguez, lying in the infirmary, insane, muttering something about Mary and a son of Poseidon.

"This is a good reason for new war games," Quintus continued, a glint in his eyes. "We'll see how you all do with that tonight."

"Yes..." Chiron said. "Well, enough announcements. Let us bless this meal and eat." He raised his goblet. "To the gods."

We all raised our glasses and repeated the blessing.

I took my plate to the bronze brazier and scraped a portion on my food into the flames. I hoped the gods liked raisin toast and Frosted Flakes. "Zeus," I muttered.

Once everyone was eating, Chiron and Grover came over to my table. Grover was bleary-eyed. His shirt was inside out. He held his plate loosely almost spilling his breakfast.

"Hello, Thalia," Chiron said. "Come with me. You, Percy and Grover need to talk about something. And remember, this is the only time you're allowed to sit at another table."

I nodded and brought my plate with me to the Poseidon table. With one glance at Grover, Tyson shifted uncomfortable. "I will go...um...polish my fish ponies."

He lumbered off, leaving his breakfast half-eaten.

Grover slid his plate onto the table and slumped to the spot across from Percy. I sat next to Percy.

Chiron tried to smile at Percy, but I knew Percy could tell it was forced. Chiron probably wanted to look reassuring. "Well, Percy, how did you sleep?"

"Uh, fine." Percy looked a little uncomfortable. Did something happen last night? What nightmares did he have?

"I brought Grover over," Chiron said, "because I thought you two might want to, ah, discuss matters. I also brought Thalia to help talk about the, err, situation we are in. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some Iris-messages to send. I'll see you later in the day." He gave Grover a meaningful look, nodded at me, and then trotted out of the pavilion."

"What's he talking about?" Percy asked Grover.

Grover chewed his eggs. He was definitely distracted, because hit bit the tines of his fork and chewed those down, as well. "He wants you to convince me," he mumbled.

I sighed. "I'll tell you what it's about. The Labyrinth."

That got his attention. His sudden gasp also got the attention of everybody in the dining pavilion. Most of them turned away, but some were stealing glances at us and whispering. Very few, like Annabeth's older half-brother and new head counselor for the Athena cabin, Malcolm, and Clarisse were staring at us head on.

Quintus looked over and raised an eyebrow, but he didn't say anything. I mouthed, _Chiron brought me here._

He nodded and mouthed back, _Be quick about it_.

I turned back to Percy. "The Labyrinth is Grover's last chance. He's in deep trouble. We have only one week to find Pan and Grover's searched everywhere. The only way to help him is to go into the Labyrinth. That's what Clarisse and Chiron have been investigating. When I went to 'do something', I really meant to go to Chiron and Clarisse to get more info about it."

"The Labyrinth." Percy shifted his weight on the bench. "I've heard Chiron and Clarisse mention it before."

I nodded. "Yes. That's exactly what they were talking about."

Percy must've gone back to his I-can't-think-fast-enough mode. "You mean the maze where they kept the Minotaur, back in the old days?"

"Yes," I said impatiently.

"So... it's not under the king's palace in Crete anymore," he guessed. "The Labyrinth is under some building in America."

He looked a little proud that he could figure it out. He wore a smug smile that would soon falter.

I rolled my eyes. "Under a building? Percy, Clarisse told me that the Labyrinth is _huge_. And if there is an entrance into camp, they'd need to find a way to get from California to New York quickly."

"California?"

"Mount Tam!" I snapped my fingers in front of my boyfriend's eyes. "Wake up, Kelp Head."

His face scrunched up. "So...is the Labyrinth part of the Underworld?"

"I don't think so." I frowned thoughtfully. "There's probably a whole bunch of passages from the Labyrinth down _into_the Underworld. But, according to Chiron, the Underworld is way, way, way down. He said that the Labyrinth is right under the surface of the mortal world, kind of like a second skin. It's been growing for thousands of years, lacing its way under Western cities, connecting everything together underground. You can get anywhere through the Labyrinth."

"If you don't get lost," Grover muttered. "And die a horrible death."

Percy jumped because he forgot that Grover was there. "Whoa! Almost forgot about you there, G-man."

"Listen, Grover," I said. "I haven't spoken to you about this, but there has to be a way to locate Pan from the Labyrinth. Clarisse lived."

"Barely!" Grover said. "And the other guy-"

"He was driven insane. He didn't die."

"Oh, joy," Grover's lower lip quivered. "That makes me feel much better."

"Whoa," Percy said. "Back up. What's this about Clarisse and a crazy guy?"

I glanced at the Ares table. Clarisse was watching us, knowing what we were talking about, but then she fixed her eyes on her breakfast plate. I quickly glanced at Malcolm to see if he was still intently watching us. He wasn't, but kept stealing glances at us every once in awhile.

"Last year," I said, lowering my voice, "Clarisse went on a mission for Chiron."

"I remember," Percy replied. "It was secret."

I nodded. "It was secret," I agreed, "because she found Chris Rodriguez."

"The guy from the Hermes cabin?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"Oh, never mind. Just part of the quest for the Golden Fleece."

"Okay, but he was a camper who abandoned camp and joined the Titan Army. Then, last summer he just appeared in Phoenix, Arizona, near Clarisse's mom's house."

"What do you mean he just appeared?"

"He was wandering around the desert, in a hundred and twenty degrees, in full Greek armor, babbling about string."

"String," Percy repeated.

"He'd been driven completely insane. Clarisse brought him back to her mom's house so the mortals wouldn't institutionalize him. She tried to nurse him back to health. Chiron came out and interviewed him, but it wasn't much good. The only thing they got out of him: Luke's men have been exploring the Labyrinth."

"And you're saying you got this information yesterday," he said.

I snorted. "You were training with Quintus for more than a hour. I had lots of time to gather information."

"Okay," he asked. "Why were they exploring the Labyrinth, though?"

I face palmed. "I told you! Invasion route straight into camp. But at the time, we weren't sure. That's why Clarisse went on a scouting expedition. Chiron kept things hushed up because he didn't want anyone panicking. I got involved because... well, I wanted to know more about Luke's plans. If Luke could figure out how to navigate it, he could move his army around with incredible speed. California to New York and back in a couple of days."

"Except it's a maze, right?"

"Full of horrible traps," Grover agreed. "Dead ends. Illusions. Psychotic goat-killing monsters."

"But not if you had Ariadne's string," I said. "In the old days, Ariadne's string guided Theseus out of the maze. It was a navigation instrument of some kind, invented by Daedalus. And Chris Rodriguez was mumbling about string."

"So Luke is trying to find Ariadne's string," Percy said. "Why? What's he planning?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," I said. "The closest entrances Clarisse found were in Manhattan, but Luke can't get through the borders. Clarisse explored a little way into the tunnels, but...it was very dangerous. She had some close calls. I don't understand exactly what Luke's planning, but Clarisse and I know that the Labyrinth might be the key to Grover's problem."

I blinked. "You think Pan is underground?"

"It would explain why he's been impossible to find."

Grover shuddered. "Satyrs hate going underground. No searcher would ever try going in _that_place. No flowers. No sunshine. No coffee shops!"

"But," I said, "the Labyrinth can lead you almost anywhere. It reads your thoughts. It was designed to fool you, trick you and kill you; but if you can make the Labyrinth work _for_you-"

"It could lead you to the wild god," Percy finished. "I swear though. Right now you sound like Annabeth."

"Is that supposed to be an insult or a compliment?"

"Uh... a compliment?"

I shook my head and pecked Percy on the lips. "Later, Kelp Head."

I walked back to the Zeus table as Grover started choking on his fork. Malcolm did a spit take.

_Did I forget to tell people that Percy and I were dating?_

**Percy's POV**

"Grover! Are you okay?" I yelped.

Apollo campers started to get off their table and make their way to mine. Apparently none of them, besides Quintus, Malcolm and Grover, saw Thalia kiss me. I knew it was against the rules to sit at a different table, but was there one against PDA?

"Grover! Labyrinth! Scary, no coffee!"

That made Grover throw up his silverware. I told the Apollo campers, "He's fine. It's all good."

I looked back up at Quintus. He was looking at Thalia, as if saying _You're lucky Mr. D isn't here._

Malcolm was apologizing to his siblings at the Athena table where he sprayed them with his Sprite.

Grover calmed down from his choking fit. "You two? How come I never sensed this?"

"Because you were worrying too much about your searcher's license."

That knocked him back to focus. "I can't do it, Percy. My searcher's license. Pan. I'm going to lose it all. I'll have to start a puppet theater."

"Don't say that! We'll figure something out."

He looked at me teary-eyed. "Percy, you're my best friend. You've seen me underground. In that Cyclops' cave. Do you really think I could..."

His voice faltered. I remembered the Sea of Monsters, when he'd been stuck in a Cyclops' cave. He'd never liked underground places to begin with, but now Grover really hated them. Cyclopes gave him the creeps, too. Even Tyson... Grover tried to hide it, but Grover and I could sort of read each other's emotions because of this empathy link between us. I knew how he felt. Grover was terrified of the big guy.

"I have to leave," Grover said miserably. "Juniper's waiting for me. It's a good thing she finds cowards attractive."

After he was gone, I looked over at Quintus. He nodded gravely, like we were sharing some dark secret. Then he went back to cutting his sausage with a dagger.

* * *

In the afternoon, I went down to the Pegasus stables to visit my friend Blackjack.

_Yo, boss!_ He capered around in his stall, his black wings buffeting the air. _Ya bring me some sugar cubes?_

"You know those aren't good for you, Blackjack."

_Yeah, so you brought me some, huh?_

I smiled and fed him a handful. Blackjack and I went back a long way. I sort of helped rescue him from Luke's demon cruise ship a few years ago, and ever since, he insisted on repaying me with favors.

_So we got any quests coming?_ Blackjack asked. _I'm ready to fly, boss!_

I patted his nose. "Not sure, man. Everybody keeps talking about underground mazes."

Blackjack whinnied nervously. _Nuh-uh. Not for this horse! You ain't gonna be crazy enough to go in maze, boss. Are ya? You'll end up in the glue factory!_

"You may be right, Blackjack. We'll see."

Blackjack crunched down his sugar cubes. He shook his mane like he was having a sugar seizure. _Whoa! Good stuff! Well, boss, you come to your senses and want to fly somewhere, just give a whistle. Ole Blackjack and his buddies, we'll stampede anybody for ya! And if you need it, I can give your girlfriend a lift._

I looked at him. How'd he know I have a girlfriend?

_I can read your mind, boss. Ain't that awesome! Plus, she came down yesterday and recognized me._

I shook my head and smiled. I told him I'd keep his offer in mind. Then a group of younger campers came into the stables to start their riding lessons, and I decided it was time to leave. I had a bad feeling I wasn't going to see Blackjack for a long time.

* * *

That night after dinner, Quintus had us suit up in combat armor like we were getting ready for capture the flag, but the mood among the campers was a lot more serious. Sometime during the day the crates in the arena had disappeared, and I had a feeling whatever was in them had been emptied into the woods.

"I'm pooped." Thalia tiredly struggled to get her armor on. "It's been a long day for try to convince Grover to go into the Labyrinth and rock climbing. By the way, I almost died." She shivered. "I hate heights."

"Don't worry, it's going to be fine. At least I hope so..." I trailed off. I didn't know what to think. So many thoughts had been swirling in my mind that day.

The Iris-message to Nico di Angelo had freaked me out. A ghost had been manipulating his mind, trying to convince him that I was to blame for his sister's death. Then, he was planning to get a soul to revive Bianca with, which I _thought_was me.

Then, also all of this talk about the Labyrinth. I was clear that there was going to be an attack on camp this summer, but we only had 80 campers against a giant army of monsters and enemy demigods. Also, it became evident that an invasion route that led right into the heart of camp was also present. Although no one knew about it or where it was, Chiron was certain that there was an entrance inside the borders of camp.

Then there was Quintus who was very suspicious. He seemed mysterious, as if he wasn't who he claimed to be. Who was his godly parent? I had so many questions, but none of them could be answered. Quintus had shut me out about the mark on his neck that looked like some sort of bird.

Lastly, there was Grover. His lifelong goal of finding Pan was on the line. He had to find Pan in one week... and we were already one day in. Thalia had said there was the possibility that Pan could be in the Labyrinth, but Grover was reluctant to go. He was deathly afraid of caves and underground places. Not literally of course, but they scared him more than Tyson... and that's sayin' something. I felt bad for my best friend. But like I said last summer, he's going to find it. I know it.

Quintus snapped me back to reality. "Right," he said, standing on the head dining table. "Gather 'round."

He was dressed in black leather and bronze. In the torchlight, his grey hair made him look like a ghost. Mrs. O'Leary bounded happily around him, foraging for dinner scraps.

"You will be in teams of two," Quintus announced. When everybody started talking and trying to grab their friends, he yelled: "Which have already been chosen!"

"AWWWWW!" everybody complained.

"Your goal is simple: collect the gold laurels without dying. The wreath is wrapped in a silk package, tied to the back of one of the monsters. There are six monsters. Each has a silk package. Only one holds the laurels. You must find the wreath before the other teams. And, of course...you will have to slay the monster to get it, and stay alive."

The crowd started murmuring excitedly. The task sounded pretty straightforward. Hey, we'd all slain monsters before. That's what we trained for.

"I will now announce your partners," Quintus said. "There will be no trading. No switching. No complaining.

"_Aroooof!_" Mrs. O'Leary buried her face in a plate of pizza.

Quintus produced a big scroll and started reading off names. Beckendorf would be with Silena Beauregard, which Beckendorf looked pretty happy about. Silena was looking nervously away from Beckendorf. _No,_ I thought. _Oh, man. She likes Beckendorf._I smiled. Another pairing was the Stoll brothers, Travis and Connor, would be together. No surprise. They did everything together. Clarisse was with Lee Fletcher from the Apollo cabin- melee and ranged combat combined, they would be a tough combo to beat. Quintus kept rattling off the names until he said, "Percy Jackson with Thalia Grace."

There were some uneasy murmurings. Now about us, Thalia and I were considered the most difficult team that night because we were the two most powerful demigods. But what most of them didn't know, although we were dating, we did argue a lot... even though they ended up with us making out...

Anyway, I grinned at Thalia when Quintus called our names. "Nice."

She smiled back. "Yeah, but your armor is crooked." And she redid my straps for me.

"Grover Underwood," Quintus said, "with Tyson."

Grover just about jumped out of his goat fur. "What? B-but—"

"No, no," Tyson whimpered. "Must be a mistake. Goat boy—"

"No complaining!" Quintus ordered. "Get with your partner. You have two minutes to prepare!"

Tyson and Grover both looked at me pleadingly. I tried to give them an encouraging nod, and gestured that they should move together. Tyson sneezed. Grover started chewing nervously on his wooden club.

"They'll be fine," Thalia said. "Come on. Let's see what kind of monsters we get to slay today."

**Thalia's POV**

It was still light when we got into the woods, but the shadows from the trees made it feel like midnight. It was cold, too, even in summer. But it was the shadows that scared me more. They reminded me of Hades, who tried to kill me all those years back. Percy and I found tracks almost immediately- scuttling marks made by something with a lot of legs. We began to follow the trail.

We jumped a creek and heard some twigs snapping nearby. We crouched behind a boulder, but it was only the Stoll brothers tripping through the woods and cursing. Their dad was the god of thieves, but they were about as stealthy as buffaloes.

Once the Stolls had passed, we forged deeper into the woods where the monsters were wilder. We were standing on a ledge overlooking a marshy pond when I tensed. "This is where we stopped looking."

It took Percy a second to realize what I meant. Last winter, when we'd given up hope of finding him, Grover, Percy and I had stood on this rock, and I'd convinced them not to tell Chiron the truth: that Nico was a son of Hades. At the time it seemed the right thing to do. Percy wanted to protect his identity. He wanted to be the one to find him and make things right for what had happened to his sister. Now, six months later, we hadn't even come close to finding him. It left a bitter taste in our mouths.

"I saw him last night," he said.

I knit my eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

He told me about the Iris-message. When he was done, I stared into the shadows of the woods. "He's summoning the dead? That's not good."

Percy looked ready to tell me something when I heard a sneeze. I whirled around and pointed my spear toward the noise. Percy crept forward and I followed him. There were quiet shuffling noises and then: _TOOT!_

Percy and I jumped back and walked up behind another boulder. Looking over it, we saw Tyson and Grover shuffling toward a tree. The shrill _toot_was Grover's reed pipes. It sounded a lot better than last winter, but sometimes when he was nervous, like now, he slipped up.

"Sorry," Grover muttered.

"No problem, Goat boy," Tyson muttered back.

Percy and I left them to their bonding. We traveled over to Zeus' Fist, a huge pile of boulders in the middle of the west woods. It was a natural landmark where campers often rendezvoused on hunting expeditions, but now there was nobody around.

"Over there," I whispered.

"Now, wait," Percy said. "Behind us."

It was weird. Scuttling noises seemed to be coming from several different directions. We were circling the boulders, his sword and my spear drawn, when someone right behind us said, "Hi."

We whirled around, and the tree nymph Juniper yelped.

"Put those down!" she protested. "Dryads don't like sharp blades, okay?"

"Juniper," I exhaled. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here."

Percy lowered his sword. "In the boulders?"

She pointed toward the edge of the clearing. "In the juniper. Duh."

Juniper seemed troubled. After a couple of seconds, she spoke again,

"Are you guys busy?" Juniper asked.

"Well," Percy said, "we're in the middle of this game against a bunch of monsters and we're trying not to die."

"We're not busy," I said. "In fact, I'm a little tired. But what's wrong, Juniper?"

Juniper sniffled. She wiped her silky sleeve under her eyes. "It's Grover. He seems so distraught. All year he's been out looking for Pan. And every time he comes back, its worse. I thought maybe, at first, he was seeing another tree."

"No," I said as Juniper started crying. "I'm sure that's not it."

"He had a crush on a blueberry bush once," Juniper said miserably.

"Juniper," I said. I wasn't a very comforting person, but I have dealt with heartbreak before. _Luke_. "Grover would never even _look_at another tree. He's just stressed out about his searcher's license."

"He can't go underground!" she protested. "You can't let him."

I felt really uncomfortable. "It might be the only way to help him; if we just knew where to start." Jeez, Percy's right. I _am _starting to sound like Annabeth... and not the good kind.

"Ah," Juniper wiped a green tear off her cheek. "About that..."

Another rustle in the woods, and Juniper yelled, "Hide!"

Percy and I turned. Coming out of the woods was a glistening amber insect, ten feet long, with jagged pincers, an armored tail, and a stinger as long as my sword. A scorpion. Tied to its back was a red silk package.

"I'll shoot it with lightning and blast it to bits," I said volunteering.

"No. You're too tired. Let's just fight normally."

"I'm not _that _tired!"

"You just gotta take a break."

"Why don't you?"

"Because I'm not tired! Just listen to me and take a break."

"Zeus! You're starting to sound more like Annabeth... and not the good kind!"

"Well at least I'm not trying to play 'hero'."

"You tried that in winter!"

We were too busy arguing to notice that two other scorpions appeared behind the first one.

"Would you just shut up and let's kill that scorpion?"

"You started it!"

"How?"

"By telling me not to blast those scorpions to bits!"

He turned and went wide-eyed. I looked to where the scorpion was. There were two others next to the first. I cursed under my breath. The two most powerful demigods of century would obviously attract monsters like crazy.

The scorpions scurried toward us, whipping their barbed tails like they'd come here just to kill us. Percy and I put our backs against the nearest boulder.

"Climb?" he asked.

"No time," I replied.

I held Aegis up and the scorpions hissed, backing away from the shield. However, they were surrounding us. They were so close I could see their hideous mouths foaming, anticipating an ice juicy meal of demigods.

"Look out!" Percy parried away a stinger with the flat of his blade. I stabbed with my spear, but the scorpion backed out of range. We clambered sideways along the boulders, but the scorpions followed us. We slashed at the scorpions, but going on the offensive was too dangerous. Despite my shield, the scorpion could easily get us. If we went for the body, the tail would stab downward, and it wouldn't be at the shield. If we went for the tail, the thing's pincers came from either side and tried grabbing us. All we could do was defend, and we wouldn't be able to keep that up for very long.

Percy suddenly said, "In here."

I shot a weak bolt of electricity at a scorpion and looked at him because he was crazy. "_In there?_It's too narrow."

"I'll cover you. Go!"

I ducked behind him and started squeezing between the two boulders. Then my foot slipped and I yelped. I reached out for Percy's armor straps and I tumbled into a pit that hadn't been there a moment before. I didn't dare look back because below us, was complete darkness. Then, the light shut off.

Our breathing echoed against stone. It was wet and cold. I was sitting on a bumpy floor that seemed to be made of bricks.

Percy lifted Riptide. The faint glow of the blade was just enough to illuminate Percy's frightened face and the mossy stone walls on either side of us.

I wouldn't admit it out loud, but I was completely scared. More images of Hades' minions flashed into my mind. I, Thalia Grace, unafraid of most things above the surface was afraid of the dark. But I had good reason.

"Wh-where are we?" I asked stuttering.

"Safe from the scorpions, anyway," Percy replied, trying to sound calm. His face showed the truth, though. I remembered slipping and the ground opening up beneath me. Then the light from above us shut off suddenly, like the earth was consuming us.

Percy lifted his sword again for light.

"It's a long room," he muttered.

I looked down the hall and gasped. All the pieces of the puzzle about the Labyrinth put themselves together in my mind. I gripped Percy's arm. "It's not a room. It's a corridor."

There was a warm breeze, like in subway tunnels, coming from in front of us. But the breeze felt old and dangerous.

Percy started forward, but I stopped him. "Don't take another step," I warned. "We need to find the exit."

"It's okay," he promised. "It's right-"

He stopped short when he saw the ceiling. It was solid stone and the corridor seemed to stretch endlessly in both directions.

My hand slipped into his. Although normally I'd do this for fun and pleasure, this time I held his hand to make sure he was always next to me.

"Two steps back," I advised.

We stepped backward together like we were in a minefield.

"Okay," I said. "Help me examine the walls."

"What for?"

"The mark of Daedalus," I said.

"Wait. Don't tell me we found the Labyrinth."

"Got it!" I said with relief. I set my hand on the wall and pressed against a tiny fissure, which began to glow blue. A Greek symbol appeared: Δ, the Ancient Greek Delta.

The roof slid open and we saw night sky, stars blazing. It was a lot darker than it should've been. Metal ladder rungs appeared in the side of the wall, leading up, and I could hear people yelling our names.

"Percy! Thalia!" Tyson's voice bellowed the loudest, but others were calling out too.

Percy looked nervously at me. I said, "We found the Labyrinth."

Then we began to climb.

* * *

We made our way around the rocks and ran into Clarisse and a bunch of other campers carrying torches.

"Where have you two been?" Clarisse demanded.

"We've been looking forever."

"But we were gone only a few minutes," Percy said.

Chiron trotted up, followed by Tyson and Grover.

"Percy!" Tyson said. "You are okay?"

"We're fine," he said. "We fell in a hole."

The others looked at him skeptically, then at me.

"Honest!" Percy said. "There were three scorpions after us, so we ran and hid in the rocks. But we were only gone a minute."

"You've been missing for almost an hour," Chiron said. "The game is over."

Percy looked at me, his eyes widening. I looked back grimly, hoping he would get the message.

"Yeah," Grover muttered. "We would've won, but a Cyclops sat on me."

"Was an accident!" Tyson protested, and then he sneezed.

Clarisse was wearing the gold laurels, but she didn't even brag about winning them, which wasn't like her. But it was understandable in this situation. "A hole?" she asked.

I glanced at Percy. Percy turned to Chiron. "Chiron...maybe we should talk about this at the Big House."

Clarisse gasped. "You found it, didn't you?"

I bit my lip. "I- Yeah. Yeah, we did."

A bunch of campers started asking questions, looking about as confused as I was, but Chiron raised his hand for silence. "Tonight is not the right time, and this is not the right place." He stared at boulders as if he'd just noticed how dangerous they were, which they were. "All of you, back to your cabins. Get some sleep. A game well played, but curfew is past!"

There was a lot of mumbling and complaints, but the campers drifted off, talking among themselves and giving us suspicious looks.

"This explains a lot," Clarisse said. "It explains what Luke is after."

"Wait," Grover said. "What do you mean? What did we find?"

Percy and I turned to him, and understanding dawned in his eyes. "An entrance to the Labyrinth. An invasion route straight into the heart of the camp."

******Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear. It would be awesome if you guys could tell what mistakes there are so that I can fix them to make the story clearer. Thanks.**

**Hopefully you enjoyed this. Please review or private message me for suggestions and opinions.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**Check out my other stories. I recommend not viewing the 'Flash to the Past: Reading the Titan's Curse' one because it is discontinued.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**A HEADS UP: There will be a Zoe story that I'm going to post. I'm just thinking of some ideas before I put up a vote for you to choose which story you want.**

**Read the "Titan's Curse: Perlia Style" story first to get a background of what is happening.**


	5. A Quest is Issued

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians' quotes and plot line. I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians characters. I am not Rick Riordan.**

**This is my fourth FanFic although my first one got reported for MST and the second one I put up for adoption. The third one is complete.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**Thanks for reading my story and if you have any comments or suggestions, review or private message me. If you do not like Perlia do not flame by sending me messages saying you don't like Perlia and random stuff like that.**

**Just in case you were wondering, the length of an update is according to the length of the chapters in the real book.**

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear. It would be awesome if you guys could tell what mistakes there are so that I can fix them to make the story clearer. Thanks.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**A HEADS UP: There will be a Zoe story that I'm going to post. I'm just thinking of some ideas before I put up a vote for you to choose which story you want.**

Chapter 5: A Quest is Issued

**Percy's POV**

Chiron had insisted we talk about it in the morning, which was kind of like, _Hey, your life's in mortal danger. Sleep tight!_It was hard to fall asleep, but when I finally did, I dreamed of a prison.

I saw a guy in a Greek tunic and sandals crouching alone in a massive stone room. The ceiling was open to the night sky, but the walls were twenty feet high and polished marble, completely smooth. Scattered around the room were wooden crates. Some were cracked and tipped over, as if they'd been flung in there. Bronze tools spilled out of one—a compass, a saw, and a bunch of other things I didn't recognize.

The boy huddled in the corner, shivering from cold, or maybe fear. He was splattered in mud. His legs, arms, and face, were scraped up as if he'd been dragged here along with the boxes.

Then the double oak doors moaned open. Two guards in bronze armor marched in, holding an old man between them. They flung him to the floor in a battered heap.

"Father!" The boy ran to him. The man's robes were in tatters. His hair was streaked with gray, and his beard was long and curly. His nose had been broken. His lips were bloody.

The boy took the old man's head in his arms. "What did they do to you?" then he yelled at the guards. "I'll kill you!"

"There will be no killing today," a voice said.

The guards moved aside. Behind them stood a tall man in white robes. He wore a thin circlet of gold on his head. His beard was pointed like a spear blade. His eyes glittered cruelly. "You helped the Athenian kill my Minotaur, Daedalus. You turned my own daughter against me."

"You did that yourself, Your Majesty," the old man croaked.

A guard planted a kick in the old man's ribs. He groaned in agony. The young boy cried, "Stop!"

"You love your maze so much," the king said, "I have decided to let you stay here. This will be your workshop. Make me new wonders. Amuse me. Every maze needs a monster. You will be mine!"

"I don't fear you," the old man groaned.

The king smiled coldly. He locked his eyes on the boy. "But a man cares about his son, eh? Displease me, old man, and the next time my guards inflict a punishment, it will be on him!"

The king swept out of the room with his guards, and the doors slammed shut, leaving the boy and his father alone in the darkness.

"What shall we do?" the boy moaned. "Father, they will kill you!"

The old man swallowed with difficulty. He tried to smile, but it was a gruesome sight with his bloody mouth.

"Take heart, my son." He gazed up at the stars. "I—I will find a way."

A bar lowered across the doors with a fatal _BOOM_, and I woke in a cold sweat.

**Thalia's POV**

The next morning, Chiron called a war council. We met in the sword arena, which I thought was pretty strange- trying to discuss the fate of the camp while Mrs. O'Leary chewed on a life-size squeaky pink rubber yak.

Chiron and Quintus stood at the front by the weapon racks. Clarisse, Percy and I led the meeting. Tyson and Grover sat as far away from each other as possible. Also present around the table: Malcolm, Juniper the tree nymph, Silena Beauregard, Travis and Connor Stoll, Beckendorf, Lee Fletcher, and Argus, our hundred-eyed security chief. His presence marked that this was serious. Argus hardly ever shows up unless something really major is going on. The whole time Clarisse or I or Percy spoke, he kept his hundred blue eyes trained on us so hard, his whole body turned bloodshot.

"Luke must have known about the Labyrinth entrance," Clarisse said. "He knew everything about camp."

"That's impressive," Travis said. "If we knew everything about camp it could help us with covering ground."

"But we don't," I said. "That's where he's got his advantage. There could possibly be a backup plan in case coming out of the Labyrinth doesn't work."

"However," said Percy. "That's not likely."

He did have a point. The Labyrinth was pretty much the only possibility.

Juniper cleared her throat. "That's what I was trying to tell you last night. The cave entrance has been there a long time. Luke used to use it."

Silena Beauregard frowned. "You knew about the Labyrinth entrance, and you didn't say anything?"

Juniper's face turned green. "I didn't know it was important. Just a cave. I don't like yucky old caves."

"She has good taste," Grover said.

"I wouldn't have paid any attention except…well, it was Luke." She blushed a little greener.

Grover huffed. "Forget what I said about good taste."

"Interesting," Quintus polished his sword as he spoke. "And you believe this young man, Luke, would dare use the Labyrinth as an invasion route?"

"Definitely," Clarisse said. "If he could get an army of monsters inside Camp Half-Blood, just pop up in the middle of the woods without having to worry about our magical boundaries, we wouldn't stand a chance. He could wipe us out easy. He must've been planning this for months."

"He's been sending scouts into the maze," I said. "We know because…because we found one."

"Chris Rodriguez," Chiron said. He gave Quintus a meaningful look.

"Ah," Quintus said. "The one in the…Yes, I understand."

Clarisse spoke up. "The point is, Luke has been looking for a way to navigate the maze. He's searching for Daedalus' workshop."

"What an inventor," Malcolm sighed.

Percy seemed to remember something. "The guy who created the maze."

"Yes," Malcolm replied. "He was the greatest architect, the greatest inventor of all time. If the legends are true, his workshop is in the center of the Labyrinth. He's the only one who knew how to navigate the maze perfectly. Seemingly, from the information that has been given, Luke is probably going to try to find the workshop and convince Daedalus to help him. Luke wouldn't have to fumble around searching for paths, or risk losing his army in the maze's traps. He could navigate anywhere he wanted- quickly and safely. First to Camp Half-Blood to wipe us out. Then... to Olympus."

The arena was silent except for Mrs. O'Leary's toy yak getting disemboweled. _SQUEAK! SQUEAK!_

Finally Beckendorf put his huge hands on the table. "Back up a sec, Malcolm, you said 'convince Daedalus'? Isn't Daedalus dead?"

Quintus grunted. "I would hope so. He lived, what, three thousand years ago? And even if he were alive, don't the old stories say he fled from the Labyrinth?"

Chiron clopped restlessly on his hooves. "That's the problem, my dear Quintus. No one knows. There are rumors...well, there are _many_disturbing rumors about Daedalus, but one is that he disappeared back into the Labyrinth toward the end of his life. He might still be there."

Percy scrunched up his face. I could tell he had some sort of dream about the old inventor.

"We need to go in," I announced. "We have to find the workshop before Luke does. If Daedalus is alive, we convince him to help us, not Luke. If Ariadne's string still exists, we make sure it never falls into Luke's hands."

"Wait a second," Percy said. "If we're worried about an attack, why not just blow up the entrance? Seal the tunnel?"

"Great idea!" Grover said. "I'll get the dynamite!"

"It's not so easy, stupid," Clarisse growled. "I tried that at the entrance we found in Phoenix. It didn't go well."

Malcolm nodded. "The Labyrinth is magical architecture, Percy. It would take a huge amount of power to seal even one of its entrances."

"I demolished a whole building with a wrecking ball," Clarisse grunted. "And the maze entrance just shifted a few feet."

"The best we can do is prevent Luke from learning to navigate the Labyrinth," I said.

"We could fight," Lee Fletcher said. "We know where the entrance is now. We can set up a defensive line and wait for them. If an army tries to come through, they'll find us waiting with our bows."

"We will certainly set up defenses," Chiron agreed. "But I fear Clarisse is right. The magical borders have kept this camp safe for hundreds of years. If Luke manages to get a large army of monsters into the center of camp, bypassing our boundaries...we may not have the strength to defeat them."

Nobody looked real happy about that news. Chiron usually tried to be upbeat and optimistic. If he was predicting we couldn't hold off an attack, that wasn't good.

"Then I suppose the best option is to find Daedalus' workshop first," Malcolm said, breaking the silence. "Find Ariadne's string and prevent Luke from using it."

"But if nobody can navigate in there," Percy said, "what chance do we have?"

Everybody stayed silent. Someone had to go in there, otherwise the war council was pretty much useless. Mrs. O'Leary's squeak yak went _EEK!_as she ripped off its pink rubber head.

Chiron cleared his throat. "First things first. We need a quest. Someone must enter the Labyrinth, find the workshop of Daedalus, and prevent Luke from using the maze to invade this camp."

I knew I had to volunteer. Plus, I already had my partners figured out. Nobody, not even an Athena child, could possibly know how to navigate through it effortlessly.

Clarisse spoke up. "I don't know about you guys, but I think Thalia should lead the quest."

There were murmurs of doubt _and_agreement. I knew what people thought of me. I'm powerful, have leadership qualities, am brave, but not as bright as those Athena campers. After about ten seconds or so, those around the table started nodding their heads and agreeing with Clarisse.

"Clarisse," I said. "Could you please accompany me into the Labyrinth? You've been in there-"

Clarisse shook her head. "I'm not going back in there."

Travis Stoll laughed. "Don't tell me you're scared. Clarisse, chicken?"

Clarisse got to her feet and said in a shaky voice: "You don't understand anything, punk. I'm never going in there again. Never!"

She stormed out of the arena.

_Great. Now I need another warrior... Tyson!_

Travis looked around sheepishly. "I didn't mean to-"

Chiron raised his hand. "The poor girl has had a difficult year. Now, do we have agreement that Thalia should lead the quest?"

Everyone nodded except Quintus. He folded his arms and stared at the table, but I wasn't sure anyone else noticed.

"Very well," Chiron turned to me. "My dear, it's your time to visit the Oracle. Assuming you return to us in one piece, we shall discuss what to do next."

* * *

I opened the attic door and prepared myself. I remember hearing it speak the prophecy to find Artemis last winter and its raspy voice inside my head.

Honestly, I hadn't felt threatened by the Oracle's presence, but there were many stories: campers who'd gone insane, or who'd seen visions so real they died of fear.

As it got into the attic, I scanned the room. There was a table full of stuff that had been left there or thrown away by previous campers. I saw a dragon tooth with Luke's name on it. _Luke Castellan_. His last name still reminded me of the slightly hysterical mom of his.

Then I saw a pink scarf. _Found by Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase_. I was surprised when I saw that it was Aphrodite's scarf. I shook my head and kept walking.

I reached the Oracle and took a deep breath. The old corpse of the once young girl sat perfectly still on her stool, not moving an inch.

I took a deep breath. _Well, here goes nothing._

"What must I do to find Daedalus' workshop?" I asked.

Green smoke started pouring out of the mummy's mouth and a old raspy voice spoke in my head:

_"You shall delve in the darkness of the endless maze,_  
_The dead, the traitor, and the lost one raise._  
_You shall rise or fall by the ghost king's hand,_  
_The child of Athena's final stand._  
_Destroy with a hero's final breath,_  
_And lose a friend to worse than death."_

My eyes widened at _The Child of Athena's final stand_. I wasn't going to take a Child of Athena. Maybe it means someone different?

At _lose a friend to worse than death_, I was left stunned. Grover couldn't possibly die, could he? What about Tyson? He's unlike the other Cyclopes. He's actually pretty funny. Then a horrible thought came to my head. _Percy_. What if he counted as a friend?

As the green mist vanished into thin air, I turned around and climbed down the steps with a horrified expression on my face.

**Percy's POV (While Thalia gets the prophecy)**

"Percy," a girl whispered.

Juniper was standing in the bushes. It was weird how she almost turned invisible when she was surrounded by plants.

She gestured me over urgently. "You need to know: Luke wasn't the only one I saw around that cave."

"What do you mean?"

She glanced back at the arena. "I was trying to say something, but he was right there."

"Who?"

"The sword master," she said. "He was poking around the rocks."

My stomach clenched. "Quintus? When?"

"I don't know: I don't pay attention to time. Maybe a week ago, when he first showed up."

"What was he doing? Did he go in?"

"I—I'm not sure. He's creepy, Percy. I didn't even see him come into the glade. Suddenly he was just there. You have to tell Grover it's too dangerous—"

"Juniper?" Grover called from inside the arena. "Where'd you go?"

Juniper sighed. "I'd better go in. Just remember what I said. Don't trust that man!"

She ran into the arena.

I stared at the Big House, feeling more uneasy than ever. If Quintus was up to something...I needed Thalia and Clarisse. They might know what to make of Juniper's news. But where the heck were they? I knew Thalia was with the Oracle. I waited for a little bit before I couldn't stand it anymore.

It was against the rules, but then again, nobody was watching. I ran down the hill and headed across the fields.

* * *

The front parlor of the Big House was strangely quiet. I was used to seeing Dionysus by the fireplace, playing cards and eating grapes and griping at satyrs, but Mr. D was still away.

I walked down the hallway, floorboards creaking under my feet. When I got to the base of the stairs, I hesitated. Four floors above would be a little trapdoor leading to the attic. Thalia would be up there somewhere. I stood quietly and listened. But what I heard wasn't what I had expected.

Sobbing. And it was coming from below me.

I crept around the back of the stairs. The basement door was open. I didn't even know the Big House had a basement. I peered inside and saw two figures in the far corner, sitting amid a bunch of stockpiled cases of ambrosia and strawberry preserves. One was Clarisse. The other was a teenage Hispanic guy in tattered camouflage pants and a dirty black T-shirt. His hair was greasy and matted. He was hugging his shoulders and sobbing.

It was Chris Rodriguez, the half-blood who'd gone to work for Luke.

"It's okay," Clarisse was telling him. "Try a little more nectar."

"You're an illusion, Mary!" Chris backed farther into the corner. "G-get away."  
"My name's not Mary." Clarisse's voice was gentle but really sad. I never knew Clarisse could sound that way. "My name is Clarisse. Remember. Please."

"It's dark!" Chris yelled. "So dark!"

"Come outside," Clarisse coaxed. "The sunlight will help you."

"A…a thousand skulls. The earth keeps healing him."

"Chris," Clarisse pleaded. It sounded like she was close to tears. "You have to get better. Please. Mr. D will be back soon. He's an expert in madness. Just hang on."

Chris's eyes were like a cornered rat's—wild and desperate. "There's no way out, Mary. No way out."

Then he caught a glimpse of me and made a strangled, terrified sound. "The son of Poseidon! He's horrible!"

I backed away, hoping Clarisse hadn't seen me. I listened for her to come charging out and yell at me, but instead she just kept talking to Chris in a sad pleading voice, trying to get him to drink the nectar. Maybe she thought it was part of Chris's hallucination, but…son of Poseidon? Chris had been looking at me, and yet why did I get the feeling he hadn't been talking about me at all?

And Clarisse's tenderness—it had never even occurred to me that she might like someone; but the way she said Chris's name…She'd known him before he changed sides. She'd known him a lot better than I realized. And now he was shivering in a dark basement, afraid to come out, and mumbling about someone named Mary. No wonder Clarisse didn't want anything to do with the Labyrinth. What had happened to Chris in there?

I heard a creak from above—like the attic door opening—and I ran for the front door. I needed to get out of that house.

**Thalia's POV**

"My dear," Chiron said. "You made it."

I glanced at Percy, shaken up. _No. He can't be. He's not just a friend. He's my boyfriend. Emphasis on boy._Then I focused on Chiron and Quintus. "I got the prophecy. I will lead the quest to find Daedalus' workshop."

Nobody cheered. It fit though. This quest seemed insanely dangerous... literally. Last year, our quest had been simple. Travel across America to find Artemis, but _this_was the real deal. The maze that can drive you insane. I remembered Chris, hallucinating, thinking everyone around him is Mary.

Chiron scraped a hoof on the dirt floor. "What did the prophecy say exactly, my dear? The wording is important."

I took a deep breath. "It said, _you shall delve in the darkness of the endless maze..._"

Everyone waited.

_"The dead, the traitor, and the lost one raise."_

Grover perked up. "The lost one! That must mean Pan! That's great!"

"With the dead and the traitor," Percy added. "Not so great."

"And?" Chiron asked. "What is the rest?"

_"You shall rise or fall by the ghost king's hand,"_ Annabeth said, _"the child of Athena's final stand."_

Everyone looked at Malcolm. He seemed a little fidgety about getting all of the attention.

"Hey...don't jump to conclusions," he said. "Thalia wasn't going to choose me for the quest. I has to be someone else. It _has_to be."

"But who's this ghost king?" Beckendorf asked.

I looked at Percy. There was a small light in his eyes, as if he figured something was connected to that.

"Are there more lines?" Chiron asked. "The prophecy does not sound complete."

I shifted nervously. "Well...um..."

Chiron raised an eyebrow. Apparently I'm really easy to read... or maybe that's just Chiron.

I mumbled incoherent words.

"What did you say, Thals?" Percy asked.

_"Destroy with a hero's final breath,"_ I continued. _"And lose a friend to worse than death."_

Everything went silent.

I stood up suddenly. "Look, the point is, I have to go in. I'll find the workshop and stop Luke. And...I need help." I turned to Percy. "Will you come?"

He didn't hesitate, but I could see the doubt in his eyes. _And lose a friend to worse than death_. "I'm in," he said.

I smiled. "Grover, you too? The wild god is waiting."

He seemed to forget how much he hated the underground. The line about the 'lost one' had completely energized him. "I'll pack extra recyclables for snacks!"

"And Tyson," I said. "I'll need you too."

"Yay! Blow-things-up time!" Tyson clapped so hard he woke up Mrs. O'Leary, who was dozing in the corner.

"Wait, Thalia," Chiron said. "This goes against the ancient laws. A hero is allowed only two companions."

"I need them all," I insisted. "Chiron, it's important."

I needed Percy, who was a great sword fighter, and probably the most powerful demigod of the century. I also needed Grover to help him find Pan. But I needed Tyson who huge, strong and had no problem underground. That could prove useful when Grover gets scared.

"Thalia." Chiron flicked his tail nervously. "Consider well. You would be breaking the ancient laws, and there are always consequences. Last winter, five went on a quest to save Artemis. Only three came back. Think on that. Three is a sacred number. There are three fates, three furies, three Olympian sons of Kronos. It is a good strong number that stands against many dangers. Four…this is risky."

I stared back at Chiron, hoping to convey the message through my eyes. _And lose a friend to worse than death._I know it was stupid, but I needed them all, and besides, one of them must've been fated to die anyway. You can't change fate, no matter what.

I could tell he didn't like it, but he sighed. "Very well. Let us adjourn. The members of the quest must prepare themselves. Tomorrow at dawn, we send you into the Labyrinth."

**Percy's POV**

Quintus pulled me aside as the council was breaking up.

"I have a bad feeling about this," he told me.

Mrs. O'Leary came over, wagging her tail happily. She dropped her shield at my feet, and I threw it for her. Quintus watched her romp after it. I remembered what Juniper had said about him scouting out the maze. I didn't' trust him, but when he looked at me, I saw real concern in his eyes.

"I don't like the idea of you going down there," he said. "Any of you. but if you must, I want you to remember something. The Labyrinth exists to fool you. It will distract you. That's dangerous for half-bloods. We are easily distracted."

"You've been in there?"

"Long ago." His voice was ragged. "I barely escaped with my life. Most who enter aren't that lucky."

He gripped my shoulder. "Percy, keep your mind on what matters most. If you can do that, you might find the way. And here, I wanted to give you something."

He handed me a little silver tube. It was so cold I almost dropped it.

"A whistle?" I asked.

"A dog whistle," Quintus said. "For Mrs. O'Leary."

"Um, thanks, but—"

"How will it work in the maze? I'm not a hundred percent certain it will. But Mrs. O'Leary is a hellhound. She can appear when called, no matter how far away she is. I'd feel better knowing you had this. If you really need help, use it; but be careful, the whistle is made of Stygian ice."

"What ice?"

"From the River Styx. Very hard to craft. Very delicate. It cannot melt, but it will shatter when you blow it, so you can only use it once."

I thought about Luke, my old enemy. Right before I'd gone on my first quest, Luke had given me a gift, too—magic shoes that had been designed to drag me to my death. Quintus seemed nice. So concerned. And Mrs. O'Leary liked him, which had to count for something. She dropped the slimy shield at my feet and barked excitedly.

I felt ashamed that I could even think about mistrusting Quintus. But then again, I'd trusted Luke once.

"Thanks," I told Quintus. I slipped the freezing whistle into my pocket, promising myself that I would never use it, and I dashed off to find Thalia.

* * *

I'd never been inside of the Zeus cabin before.

It was the largest and grandest cabin out of them all. It was a marble building that looked like a mausoleum, with heavy columns. There were big bronze double doors and they were polished in such a way to provide a 'holographic' effect of lightning bolts passing across.

I walked inside and immediately heard the thunder. Then more thunder. Then more thunder. My father was right. When I delivered Zeus' master bolt back, my father said that Zeus would've done well as the god of theatre. He's right. Anyway, the dome-shaped ceiling was decorated with moving mosaics of a cloudy sky and thunder bolts. A statue of Zeus in traditional Greek clothes was in the center of the room. It had alcoves with golden eagle statues.

Honestly, I thought that the Zeus statue was just too much. I don't think that anyone would feel comfortable sleeping under the gaze of giant Zeus.

I looked around the bunks, but didn't see any of Thalia's stuff anywhere. I frowned. _If she didn't-_

"Hey, Percy," Thalia said to my right.

Thalia was shuffling through her stuff in one of the alcoves. There was a sleeping niche, with a bedroll, a backpack, even some pictures taped to the wall.

"I'm guessing you don't wanna sleep under the gaze of Zeus' statue," I said.

She shook her head. "There's no way I'm sleeping with the statue watching me."

"This quest is going to be tough," I said, plopping down on the floor next to her.

She grimaced for a second.

"Don't worry," I said, catching the grimace. "You're going to do awesome."

Thalia stopped shuffling through all of her stuff. "I'm actually kind of worried, Percy. I'm not an Annabeth. I'm not a genius who has tons of shelves loaded with books. Maybe I shouldn't have asked you to do this. Or Tyson or Grover."

"Hey, we're your friends. We wouldn't miss it."

"But..." She stopped herself.

"What is it?" I asked. "The prophecy?"

She nodded.

"That last line," I stated bluntly.

She nodded again.

"Don't worry. If someone does die, you can't blame yourself. Life is fated. It's like a scripted play," I said, though it made _me_feel worse. How would you feel if your life was like a TV show?

"I'm just..."

"Hey, we're dating. It can't be me, right?"

"I- I don't know. Maybe it's..."

I just hugged Thalia close to me. "Hey, it's okay." I patted her on the back.

I was aware of everything in the room. I saw the slightest movements in the room. I could smell the ozone coming from the main room of the cabin. Thalia was sighing.

"Chiron might be right," she muttered. "I'm breaking the rules. But I don't know what else to do. I need you three. It just feels right."

"Then don't worry about it," I managed. "We've had plenty of problems before, and we solved them."

"This is different. I don't want anything happening to... any of you."

"Listen, Thalia. If I do die, you become the child of the prophecy. If you sacrifice yourself for Olympus, we could live in Elysium forever." I stroked her short hair. Over the spring, she let it grow down to her shoulders and her hair was slightly less spiky.

"I just... don't want to see you die. It'd be too painful to watch," she said.

"It'll be fine. I promise," I said. I wasn't exactly sure how, but I had a feeling that I wasn't going to die. It felt like someone was telling me subconsciously that my life wasn't to be ended yet. But we'll have to see.

"What about the child of Athena? You didn't ask any child of Athena to go on the quest. Who could be the child of Athena who dies?" I asked.

"I don't know," Thalia replied. "But I don't think it means a camper. I has to be some sort of figure that we meet later on in the Labyrinth."

"I guess that's right..."

Thalia nodded solemnly. "You'd better go, Percy. Get ready for the quest. I'll- I'll see you in the morning."

I kissed her and reluctantly got up and walked out of the Zeus cabin. As I walked out of the Zeus cabin, I could feel even more tension in the camp's atmosphere than when we arrive at camp.

_And lose a friend to worse than death._But I was her boyfriend. I'm not just a friend. No. I refused to believe that I... but worse than death. Could I... could I go insane somehow?

There was still the odd chill of death lingering around my mind. No, it has to be some kind of death, and I couldn't help but wonder: _Who's going to die?_

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear. It would be awesome if you guys could tell what mistakes there are so that I can fix them to make the story clearer. Thanks.**

**Hopefully you enjoyed this. Please review or private message me for suggestions and opinions.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**Check out my other stories. I recommend not viewing the 'Flash to the Past: Reading the Titan's Curse' one because it is discontinued.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**A HEADS UP: There will be a Zoe story that I'm going to post. I'm just thinking of some ideas before I put up a vote for you to choose which story you want.**

**Read the "Titan's Curse: Perlia Style" story first to get a background of what is happening.**


	6. Goodbye Sunshine and Hello Rocks

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians' quotes and plot line. I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians characters. I am not Rick Riordan.**

**This is my fourth FanFic although my first one got reported for MST and the second one I put up for adoption. The third one is complete.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**Thanks for reading my story and if you have any comments or suggestions, review or private message me. If you do not like Perlia do not flame by sending me messages saying you don't like Perlia and random stuff like that.**

**Just in case you were wondering, the length of an update is according to the length of the chapters in the real book.**

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear. It would be awesome if you guys could tell what mistakes there are so that I can fix them to make the story clearer. Thanks.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**A HEADS UP: There will be a Zoe story that I'm going to post. I'm just thinking of some ideas before I put up a vote for you to choose which story you want.**

Chapter 6: Goodbye Sunshine and Hello Rocks

**Percy's POV**

At least I got a good night's sleep before the quest, right?

Wrong.

That night in my dreams, I was in the stateroom of the _Princess Andromeda_. The windows were open on a moonlit sea. Cold wind rustled the velvet drapes.

Luke knelt on a Persian rug in front of the golden sarcophagus of Kronos. In the moonlight, Luke's blond hair looked pure white. He wore an ancient Greek _chiton_ and a white _himation_, a kind of cape that flowed down his shoulders. The white clothes made him look timeless and a little surreal, like one of the minor gods on Mount Olympus. The last time I'd seen him, he'd  
been broken and unconscious after a nasty fall from Mount Tam. Now he looked perfectly fine. Almost too healthy.

"Our spies report success, my lord," he said. "Camp Half-Blood is sending a quest, as you predicted. Our side of the bargain is almost complete."

_Excellent._ The voice of Kronos didn't so much speak as pierce my mind like a dagger. It was freezing with cruelty. O_nce we have the means to navigate, I will lead the vanguard through myself._

Luke closed his eyes as if collecting his thoughts. "My lord, perhaps it is too soon. Perhaps Krios or Hyperion should lead—"

_No._ the voice was quiet but absolutely firm. _I will lead. One more heart shall join our cause, and that will be sufficient. At last I shall rise fully from Tartarus._

"But the form, my lord…" Luke's voice started shaking.

_Show me your sword, Luke Castellan._

A jolt went through me. I realized I'd never heard Luke's last name before. It had never even occurred to me.

Luke drew his sword. Backbiter's double edge glowed wickedly—half steel, half celestial bronze. I'd almost been killed several times by that sword. It was an evil weapon, able to kill both mortals and monsters. It was the only blade I really feared.

_You pledged yourself to me_, Kronos reminded him. _You took this sword as proof of your oath_.

"Yes, my lord. It's just—"

_You wanted power. I gave you that. You are now beyond harm. Soon you will rule the world of gods and mortals. Do you not wish to avenge yourself? To see Olympus destroyed?_

A shiver ran through Luke's body. "Yes."

The coffin glowed, golden light filling the room. _Then make ready the strike force. As soon as the bargain is done, we shall move forward. First, Camp Half-Blood will be reduced to ashes. Once those bothersome heroes are eliminated, we will march on Olympus_.

There was a knock on the stateroom doors. The light of the coffin faded. Luke rose. He sheathed his sword, adjusted his white clothes, and took a deep breath.

"Come in."

The doors opened. Two _dracaenae_ slithered in—snake women with double serpent trunks instead of legs. Between them walked Kelli, the _empousa_cheerleader from my freshman orientation.

"Hello, Luke," Kelli smiled. She was wearing a red dress and she looked awesome, but I'd seen her real form. I knew what she was hiding: mismatched legs, red eyes, fangs, and flaming hair.

"What is it, demon?" Luke's voice was cold. "I told you not to disturb me."

Kelli pouted. "That's not very nice. You look tense. How about a nice shoulder massage?"

Luke stepped back. "If you have something to report, say it. Otherwise leave!"

"I don't know why you're so huffy these days. You used to be fun to hang around."

"That was before I saw what you did to that boy in Seattle."

"Oh, he meant nothing to me," Kelli said. "Just a snack, really. You know my heart belongs to you, Luke."

"Thanks, but no thanks. Now report or get out."

Kelli shrugged. "Fine. The advanced team is ready, as you surprised. We can leave—" She frowned.

"What is it?" Luke asked.

"A presence," Kelli said. "Your senses are getting dull, Luke. We're being watched."

She scanned the stateroom. Her eyes focused right on me. Her face withered into a hag's. She bared her fangs and lunged.

* * *

I woke with a start, my heart pounding. I could've sworn the _empousa_'s fangs were an inch from my throat.

Tyson was snoring in the next bunk. The sound calmed me down a little.

I didn't know how Kelli could sense me in a dream, but I'd heard more than I wanted to know. An army was ready. Kronos would lead it personally. All they needed was a way to navigate the Labyrinth so they could invade and destroy Camp Half-Blood, and Luke apparently thought that was going to happen very soon.

I was tempted to go wake up Thalia and tell her, middle of the night or not. Then I realized the room was lighter than it should have been. A blue-and-green glow was coming from the saltwater fountain, brighter and more urgent than the night before. It was almost like the water was humming.

I got out of bed and approached.

No voice spoke out of the water this time, asking for a deposit. I got the feeling the fountain was waiting for me to make the first move.

I probably should've gone back to bed. Instead I thought about what I'd seen last night—the weird image of Nico at the banks of the River Styx.

"You're trying to tell me something," I said.

No response from the fountain.

"All right," I said. "Show me Nico di Angelo."

I didn't even throw a coin in, but this time it didn't matter. It was like some other force had control of the water besides Iris the messenger goddess. The water shimmered. Nico appeared, but he was no longer in the Underworld. He was standing in a graveyard under a starry sky. Giant willow trees loomed all around him.

He was watching some gravediggers at work. I heard shovels and saw dirt flying out of a hole. Nico was dressed in a black cloak. The night was foggy. It was warm and humid, and frogs were croaking. A large Wal-Mart bag sat next to Nico's feet.

"Is it deep enough yet?" Nico asked. He sounded irritated.

"Nearly, my lord." It was the same ghost I'd seen Nico with before, the faint shimmering image of a man. "But, my lord, I tell you, this is unnecessary. You already have me for advice."

"I want a second opinion!" Nico snapped his fingers, and the digging stopped. Two figures climbed out of the hole. They weren't people. They were skeletons in ragged clothes.

"You are dismissed," Nico said. "Thank you."

The skeletons collapsed into piles of bones.

"You might as well thank the shovels," the ghost complained. "They have as much sense."

Nico ignored him. He reached into his Wal-Mart bag and pulled out a twelve-pack of Coke. He popped open a can. Instead of drinking it, he poured it into the grave.

"Let the dead taste again," he murmured. "Let them rise and take this offering. Let them remember."

He dropped the rest of the Cokes into the grave and pulled out a white paper bag decorated with cartoons. I hadn't seen one in years, but I recognized it—a McDonald's Happy Meal.

He turned it upside down and shook the fries and hamburger into the grave.

"In my day, we used animal blood," the ghost mumbled. "It's perfectly good enough. They can't taste the difference."

"I will treat them with respect," Nico said.

"At least let me keep the toy," the ghost said.

"Be quiet!" Nico ordered. He emptied another twelve-pack of soda and three more Happy Meals into the grave, then began chanting in Ancient Greek. I caught only some of the words—a lot about the dead and memories and returning from the grave. Real happy stuff.

The grave started to bubble. Frothy brown liquid rose to the top like the whole thing was filling with soda. The fog thickened. The frogs stopped croaking. Dozens of figures began to appear among the gravestones: bluish, vaguely human shapes. Nico had summoned the dead with Coke and cheeseburgers.

"There are too many," the ghost said nervously. "You don't know your own powers."

"I've got it under control," Nico said, though his voice sounded fragile. He drew his sword—a short blade made of solid black metal. I'd never seen anything like it. It wasn't celestial bronze or steel. Iron, maybe? The crowd of shades retreated at the sight of it.

"One at a time," Nico commanded.

A single figure floated forward and knelt at the pool. It made slurping sounds as it drank. Its ghostly hands scooped French fries out of the pool. When it stood again, I could see it much more clearly—a teenage guy in Greek armor. He had curly hair and green eyes, a clasp shaped like a seashell on his cloak.

"Who are you?" Nico said. "Speak."

The young man frowned as if trying to remember. Then he spoke in a voice like dry, crumpling paper: "I am Theseus."

_No way_, I thought. This couldn't be _the_Theseus. He was just a kid. I'd grown up hearing stories about him fighting the Minotaur and stuff, but I'd always pictured him as this huge, buff guy. The ghost I was looking at wasn't strong or tall. And he wasn't any older than I was.

"How can I retrieve my sister?" Nico asked.

Theseus' eyes were lifeless as glass. "Do not try. It is madness."

"Just tell me!"

"My stepfather died," Theseus remembered. "He threw himself into the sea because he thought I was dead in the Labyrinth. I wanted to bring him back, but I could not."

Nico's ghost hissed. "My lord, the soul exchange! Ask him about that!"

Theseus scowled. "That voice. I know that voice."

"No you don't, fool!" the ghost said. "Answer the lord's questions and nothing more!"

"I know you," Theseus insisted, as if struggling to recall.

"I want to hear about my sister," Nico said. "Will this quest into the Labyrinth help me win her back?"

Theseus was looking for the ghost, but apparently couldn't see him. Slowly he turned his eyes back on Nico. "The Labyrinth is treacherous. There is only one thing that saw me through: the love of a mortal girl. The string was only part of the answer. It was the princess who guided me."

"We don't need any of that," the ghost said. "I will guide you, my lord. Ask him if it is true about an exchange of souls. He will tell you."

"A soul for a soul," Nico asked. "Is it true?"

"I—I must say yes. But the specter—"

"Just answer the questions, knave!" the ghost said.

Suddenly, around the edges of the pool, the other ghosts became restless. They stirred, whispering in nervous tones.

"I want to see my sister!" Nico demanded. "Where is she?"

"He is coming," Theseus said fearfully. "He has sensed your summons. He comes."

"Who?" Nico demanded.

"He comes to find the source of this power," Theseus said. "You must release us."

The water in my fountain began to tremble, humming with power. I realized the whole cabin was shaking. The noise grew louder. The image of Nico in the graveyard started to glow until it was painful to watch.

"Stop," I said out loud. "Stop it!"

The fountain began to crack. Tyson muttered in his sleep and turned over. Purple light threw horrible, ghostly shadows on the cabin walls, as if the specters were escaping right out of the fountain.

In desperation I uncapped riptide and slashed at the fountain, cleaving it in two. Salt water spilled everywhere, and the great stone font crashed to the floor in pieces. Tyson snorted and muttered, but he kept sleeping.

I sank to the ground, shivering from what I'd seen. Tyson found me there in the morning, still staring at the shattered remains of the saltwater fountain.

**Thalia's POV**

Just after dawn, the quest group met at Zeus' Fist. I'd packed my only knapsack- bottle with nectar, baggie of ambrosia, bedroll, rope, clothes, and flashlights. My charm bracelet was on my arm, like the usual. My mace canister was in my pocket as well. For some reason, Percy brought a lot of extra batteries. I think he forgot that I'm a daughter of Zeus... That's just like him.

It was a clear morning. The fog had burned off and the sky was blue. Campers would be having their lessons today, flying pegasi and practicing archery and scaling the lava wall. Meanwhile, we would be heading underground.

Juniper and Grover stood apart from the group. Juniper had been crying again, but she was trying to keep it together for Grover's sake. She kept fussing with his clothes, straightening his rasta cap and brushing goat fur off his shirt. Since we had no idea what we would encounter, he was dressed as a human, with the cap to hide his horns, and jeans, fake feet, and sneakers to hide his goat legs.

Chiron, Quintus, and Mrs O'Leary stood with the other campers who'd come to wish us well, but there was too much activity for it to feel like a happy send-off. A couple of tents had been set up by the rocks for guard duty. Beckendorf and his siblings were working on a line of defensive spikes and trenches. Chiron had decided we needed to guard the Labyrinth exit at all times, just in case.

I was thinking about my dream last night about some old man who I presumed was Daedalus. He was beaten up and King Minos of Crete threatened his son. I had a feeling this is how Percy knew about Daedalus: dreams.

That was when Tyson and Percy came over. I frowned. "Percy, you look terrible."

"He killed the water fountain last night," Tyson confided.

"What?" I asked.

Before he could explain, Chiron trotted over. "Well, it appears you are ready!"

He tried to sound upbeat, but I could tell he was anxious. I was about to tell Percy and Tyson to go with me to get Grover when Percy spoke up. "Hey, uh, Chiron, can I ask you a favor while I'm gone?"

"Of course, my boy."

"Tyson, can you make sure Grover's ready?"

"But-"

"Please, Ty. Just this once."

"Okay. I go get Goat-boy."

Tyson nervously walked away and Percy started his story. "Last night, I dreamed about Luke and Kronos."

The news seemed to weigh on Chiron's shoulders. I weighed on mine as well, but Chiron clearly showed his worry.

"I feared this," he said. "Against my father, Kronos, we would stand no chance in a fight."

"Father?" I asked.

Percy nodded. "Chiron's father is Kronos."

I stared at Chiron strangely. I never knew that about him.

"Well," Percy said, "it's not something to brag about. I mean... _Oh, my dad is the all-powerful evil Titan lord who wants to destroy Western Civilization. I want to be just like him when I grow up!_"

I laughed for a little bit. Percy's immature attitude can come in handy sometimes. Then after a couple of seconds, the mood died back down.

"Do you know what he meant about a bargain?" Percy asked.

"I am not sure," Chiron said, "but I fear they seek to make a deal with Daedalus. If the old inventor is truly alive, if he has not been driven insane by millennia in the Labyrinth...well, Kronos can find ways to twist anyone to his will."

"No anyone," Percy promised.

Chiron managed a smile. "No. Perhaps not anyone. But, Percy, you must beware. I have worried for some time that Kronos may be looking for Daedalus for a different reason, not just passage through the maze."

"What else would he want?" I asked.

"Something I remembered from your quest to the Sea of Monsters," he said to Percy. "Do you remember what you told me about your first trip to the _Princess Andromeda_, the first time you saw the golden coffin?"

Percy nodded. "Luke was talking about raising Kronos, little pieces of him appearing in the coffin every time someone new joined his cause."

"And what did Luke say they would do when Kronos had risen completely?"

A chill seemed to go down Percy's spine. "He said they would make Kronos a new body, worthy of the forges of Hephaestus." Then the chill went down my spine.

"Indeed," Chiron said. "Daedalus was the world's greatest inventor. He created the Labyrinth, but much more. Automatons, thinking machines...What if Kronos wishes Daedalus to make him a new form?"

That was a real pleasant thought.

"We've got to get to Daedalus first," I said, "and convince him not to."

Chiron stared off into the trees. "One other thing I do not understand...this talk of a last soul joining their cause. That does not bode well."

Percy kept his mouth shut, but I could see the guilty expression on his face. We hadn't told Chiron about Nico being a son of Hades. Then a horrible thought hit me. What if Kronos knew about Nico? What if he managed to turn him evil? I looked at Percy for permission to tell Chiron about Nico, but he had a stern expression on. I sighed. Percy wanted to make things right with Nico and find him. Convince him that trying to revive Bianca was something he couldn't do.

"I don't know," Percy said at last. "But, uh, something Juniper said, maybe you should hear. He told us how the tree nymph had seen Quintus poking around the rocks.

Chiron's jaw tightened. "That does not surprise me."

"It doesn't sur- you mean you know?" Percy asked.

"Percy, when Quintus showed up at camp offering his services...well, I would have to be a foot not to be suspicious."

"Then why did you let him in?"

"Because sometimes it is better to have someone you mistrust close to you, so that you can keep an eye on him. He may be just what he says: a half-blood in search of a home. Certainly he has done nothing openly that would make me question his loyalty. But believe me. I will keep an eye—"

Tyson trudged over. "I got Goat-boy away from tree girl."

Percy nodded and his hand slipped into his pocket. He looked over and I followed his gaze. Quintus was watching Percy carefully and raised his hand in farewell.

I recalled what Percy had said about a spy. The same day we decided to send a quest, Luke had known about it.

"Take care," Chiron told us. "And good hunting."

"You too," I said.

We walked over to the rocks, where Grover was waiting. I stared at the crack between the boulders- the entrance that was about to swallow us.

"Well," Grover said nervously, "goodbye sunshine."

"Hello rocks," Tyson agreed.

And together, the four of us descended into darkness.

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear. It would be awesome if you guys could tell what mistakes there are so that I can fix them to make the story clearer. Thanks.**

**Hopefully you enjoyed this. Please review or private message me for suggestions and opinions.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**Check out my other stories. I recommend not viewing the 'Flash to the Past: Reading the Titan's Curse' one because it is discontinued.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**A HEADS UP: There will be a Zoe story that I'm going to post. I'm just thinking of some ideas before I put up a vote for you to choose which story you want.**

**Read the "Titan's Curse: Perlia Style" story first to get a background of what is happening.**


	7. We Meet a Roman God

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians' quotes and plot line. I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians characters. I am not Rick Riordan.**

**This is my fourth FanFic although my first one got reported for MST and the second one I put up for adoption. The third one is complete.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**Thanks for reading my story and if you have any comments or suggestions, review or private message me. If you do not like Perlia do not flame by sending me messages saying you don't like Perlia and random stuff like that.**

**Just in case you were wondering, the length of an update is according to the length of the chapters in the real book.**

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear. It would be awesome if you guys could tell what mistakes there are so that I can fix them to make the story clearer. Thanks.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**A HEADS UP: There will be a Zoe story that I'm going to post. I'm just thinking of some ideas before I put up a vote for you to choose which story you want.**

Chapter 7: We Meet a Roman God

**Percy's POV**

We made it a hundred feet before we were hopelessly lost.

The tunnel looked nothing like the one Thalia and I had stumbled into last night. Now it was round like a sewer, constructed of red brick with iron-barred portholes ever ten feet. I shined a light through one of the portholes out of curiosity, but I couldn't see anything. It opened into infinite darkness. I thought I heard voices on the other side, but it may have been just the cold wind.

Thalia tried her best to guide us. She had this idea that we should just walk until we reach some sort of checkpoint.

"What? Didn't the stories say that the Labyrinth twists and turns?" she said in response to her crazy plan. But the plan _did_make sense.

With that, the left wall disappeared. We found ourselves in the middle of a circular chamber with eight tunnels leading out, and no idea how we'd gotten there.

"What do ya know? Bird Brain is right this time," I teased my girlfriend.

She zapped me.

"Ow!"

"You deserved it."

I huffed, but kept walking on. After about five minutes of walking, we'd passed through multiple different tunnels and found ourselves back in the circular chamber with eight tunnels leading out.

"Um, which way did we even come from?" Grover said nervously.

"Tunnels are mean," Tyson said. "Which way now?"

Thalia swept her flashlight beam over the archways of the eight tunnels. As far as I could tell, they were identical. "That way," she said.

"Are you sure that isn't the one we went through last time?" I asked.

"Why does it matter?"

"Because we could end up back here again."

"The Labyrinth changes all the time. It'll shift to mess with our minds."

"But it can mess with our minds by keeping it the way it is."

"You can be so frustrating!"

"I'm just predicting what could happen."

"You're making me more irritated than if we went in circles!"

"I'm just guessing!"

"Well guessing isn't your strategy!"

"Don't make fun of my intelligence!"

"You didn't seem to take offence when Annabeth mocked it."

"Well..."

"And I'm your girlfriend!"

"Sorry?"

"Sorry isn't gonna cut it."

Tyson whispered to Grover, completely ignoring the fact that Grover was a satyr. "They're fighting." I guess us fighting really distracts people.

"I know. But they're in love," Grover said. Then he scrunched up his nose. "Although it _can_get annoying sometimes."

"Shut up!" Thalia and I yelled simultaneously.

"Sorry," Grover said meekly.

"It's okay," I apologized. "I was just pointing out the fact that-"

"Ugh! You're becoming more and more like Annabeth these days."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"Ye-"

"Shut up!" Tyson bellowed. Thalia and I both turned to him.

"Let's just go," Grover said.

Thalia and I were too busy fighting to notice that Grover and Tyson had worked together without being afraid with each other.

However, at the time, Thalia and I just obeyed. Thalia took the reins again and led on.

The tunnel she'd chosen was definitely different. It narrowed quickly and the walls turned to grey cement. The ceiling go so low that pretty soon we were hunching over. Tyson was forced to crawl.

Grover's hyperventilating was the loudest noise in the maze. "I can't stand it anymore," he whispered. "Are we there yet?"

"And you never bothered to hyperventilate when Percy and I were fighting?" Thalia asked.

"Um...well, no."

"Well, for your information, we've been down here maybe five minutes," she answered his question.

"It's been longer than that," Grover insisted. "And why would Pan be down here? This is the opposite of the wild!"

I knew he was right about the time because when Thalia and I dropped down, we'd only been in here for a minute or two. Outside, we'd been gone for an hour.

I dropped to my knees as the tunnel got even narrower.

Tyson groaned. "Mean walls are squeezing me."

"Can you fit through?" I asked.

"Yes."

Just when I was sure the tunnel would get so narrow it would squish us, Tyson first, it opened into a huge room. I shined my light around the walls and said, "Whoa."

The whole room was covered in mosaic tiles. The pictures were grimy and faded, but I could still make out the colors- red, blue, green, gold. The frieze showed the Olympian gods at a feast. There was my dad, Poseidon, with his trident, holding out grapes for Dionysus to turn into wine. Zeus was partying with satyrs, and Hermes was flying through the air on his winged sandals. The pictures were beautiful, but they weren't very accurate. I'd seen the gods. Dionysus was not that handsome, and Hermes' nose wasn't that big.

In the middle of the room was a three-tiered fountain. It looked like it hadn't held water in a long time.

"What is the place?" I muttered. "It looks..."

"I don't know, but it has to be Greek or Roman," Thalia said. "No other civilization believed in these gods."

"But then wouldn't there be Roman versions of the gods?"

"You're so silly." Thalia shook her head. "Unlike the Greeks, Romans were all mortals. Mortals, but a lot of clear sighted mortals. There were some gods that were introduced in the Roman Era, but those were just fake beliefs. At least, that's what my father told me."

"So... There are no Roman gods?"

"No."

"Then why do we learn about Roman gods?"

"Because they were a really strong empire who just happened to believe in those gods."

I couldn't help but feel a nagging feeling in my stomach. It was as if I was grasping information I shouldn't have.

"How did they get Roman art down here? I'm pretty sure the Roman Empire never made it to Long Island," I said.

"Kelp Head." She shook her head and looked down the hall.

I remembered something Chiron had told me when I was first introduced to the camp. _The heart of the fire moved to Rome, and so did the gods._I frowned as a mind blank hit me. What was I just thinking about?

"I'm thinking that we should go forward," Thalia said.

A groaning noise echoed from the tunnel in front us.

"Down the hall with the bad sounds?" Tyson asked. Even he looked nervous.

"Yeah," Thalia said. "The architecture is getting older. That's a good sign. Daedalus' workshop would be in the oldest part."

I stared at her, puzzled. "How do you know this stuff?"

"I have other friends besides you guys." She rolled her eyes. "Malcolm helped me. And so did a couple of other Athena campers."

"Oh. Okay."

We walked forward and I expected to see Ancient Greek mosaics and beautiful architecture, but what I saw was the opposite. The tunnel turned back to cement, with brass pipes running down the sides. The walls were spray-painted with graffiti. A neon tagger sign read MOZ RULZ.

"I'm thinking this is not Roman," I said helpfully.

Thalia took a deep breath, then forged ahead.

Every few feet the tunnels twisted and turned and branched off. The floor beneath us changed from cement to mud to bricks and back again. There was no sense to any of it. We stumbled into a wine cellar- a bunch of dusty bottles in wooden racks -like we were walking through somebody's basement, only there was no exit above us, just more tunnels leading on.

Later the ceiling turned to wooden planks, and I could hear voices above us and the creaking of footsteps, as if we were walking under some kind of bar. It was reassuring to hear people, but then again, we couldn't get to them. We were stuck down here with no way out. Then we found our first skeleton.

He was dressed in white clothes, like some kind of uniform. A wooden crate of glass bottles sat next to him.

"A milkman," Thalia said.

"What?" I asked.

"They used to deliver milk."

"Yeah, I know what they are, but... that was when my mom was little, like a million years ago. What's he doing here?"

Thalia rolled her eyes at _million years ago_. "Honestly, I don't know... Maybe Annabeth would've been very helpful on this trip."

Grover gulped. "Well... He's been down here a long time." He pointed to the skeleton's bottles, which were coated with white dust. The skeleton's fingers were clawing at the brick wall, like he had died trying to get out.

"Only bones," Tyson said. "Don't worry, goat boy. The milkman is dead."

"The milkman doesn't bother me," Grover said. "It's the smell. Monsters. Can't you smell it?"

Tyson nodded. "Lots of monsters. But underground smells like that. Monsters and dead milk people."

"Oh, good," Grover whimpered. "I thought maybe I was wrong."

"There has to be a way to the center," Thalia said. "But how are we supposed to find it. Theseus had Ariadne's string to guide him."

My mind flashed to the dream I had about Nico summoning Theseus. _The string was only part of the answer. It was the princess who guided me._

"There's something else," I said. "The string is only part of the answer. Theseus had the princess guide him."

"With the string," Thalia said in a 'duh' voice.

I furrowed my eyebrows in concentration. The string definitely wasn't it. What could it be? I just couldn't place my finger on it.

I sighed as we turned left, through a corridor of stainless steel like some kind of air shaft. We arrived back in the Roman tile room with the fountain.

This time, we weren't alone.

**Thalia's POV**

What I noticed first were his faces. Both of them. They jutted out from either side of his head, staring over his shoulders, so his head was much wider than it should've been. It sort of looked like this bird I once learned about, but I forgot its name. All I saw from this point of view were two overlapping ears and mirror-image sideburns.

He was dressed like Percy's mother's doorman: a long black overcoat, shiny shoes, and a black top-hat that somehow managed to stay on his double-wide head.

"Well, Thalia?" said his left face. "Hurry up!"

"Don't mind him," said the right face. "He's terribly rude. Right this way, miss."

My jaw dropped. "Uh...I don't..."

Tyson frowned next to Percy. "That funny man has two faces."

"The funny man has ears, you know!" the left face scolded. "Now come along, miss."

"No, no," the right face said. "This way, miss. Talk to _me_, please."

The two-faced man regarded me as best he could out of the corners of his eyes. It was impossible to look at him straight on without focusing on one side or the other. I was stumped. They were asking me to choose a path to take.

Behind the man were two exits, blocked by wooden doors with huge iron locks. They hadn't been there our first time through the room. The two-faced doorman held a silver key, which he kept passing from his left hand to his right hand. I looked around and saw that everything about the room was the same as before.

Then, I turned around and saw the doorway we'd come through had disappeared, replaced by more mosaics.

"The exits are closed," I said.

"Duh!" the man's left face said.

"Where do they lead?" I asked.

"One probably leads the way you wish to go," the right face said encouragingly. "The other leads to certain death."

"Who- Who are you?" I asked.

"Of course," the left face said bitterly. "Doesn't know who I am. Children of the Big Three tend to be forgetful and cocky."

"Why are you trying to confuse me?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

The right face smiled. "You're in charge now, my dear. All the decisions are on your shoulders. That's what you wanted, isn't it?"

"N-"

"We know you, Thalia," the left face said. "We know what you wrestle with every day. We know your indecision. You will have to make your choice sooner or later. And the choice may kill you."

I stared confused. "Kill me?"

"Oh, yes. It may not come right away, but if you choose incorrectly, the consequences can be horrifying," the left face smiled evilly.

I gulped. Okay, I haven't been honest with you, the reader. I may... still think of Luke as a friend. I don't like him romantically like I used to, but he... he's still a friend, for now. I had a feeling that whatever this dude was saying had something to do with my decision to leave Luke, or keep him as a friend.

"Leave her alone," Percy stepped in. "Who are you anyway?"

"I'm your best friend," the right face said.

"I'm your worst enemy," the left face said.

"I'm Janus," both faces said in harmony. "God of Doorways. Beginnings. Endings. Choices."

My eyes widened as I realized who this was. However, Percy just had to blurt out: "Aren't you a Roman god?"

"Ahh, Perseus Jackson," said the right face. "I'll see you soon enough. But for now, it's Thalia's turn." He laughed giddily. "Such fun!"

"Shut up!" his left face said. "This is serious. One bad choice can ruin your whole life. It can kill you and all of your friends. But no pressure, Thalia Grace. Choose!"

"Don't Thalia!" Percy exclaimed. I don't know what got into him, but his face blanched to the point where it looked like he was covered in bird crap.

"I'm afraid she has to," the right face said cheerfully.

I licked my lips. "I- I choose-"

Before I could point to a door, a bright light filled the room.

Janus raised his hands to either side of his head to cover his eyes. When the light died, a woman was standing at the fountain.

She was tall and graceful with long hair the color of chocolate, braided in plaits with gold ribbons. She wore a simple white dress, but when she moved, the fabric shimmered with colors like a rainbow in the air.

To be honest, I hate rainbows.

Also, I recognized the goddess. And it was someone whom I hated so very much.

"Janus," she said, "are we causing trouble again?"

"N-no, milady!" Janus' right face stammered.

"Yes!" the left face said.

"Shut up!" the right face said.

"Excuse me? the goddess asked.

"Not you, milady! I was talking to myself."

"I see," the lady said. "You know very well your visit is premature. The girl's time has not yet come. So I give _you_ a choice: leave these heroes to me, or I shall turn _you_into a door and break you down."

"What kind of door?" the left face asked.

"Shut up!" the right face said.

"Because French doors are nice," the left face mused. "Lots of natural light."

"Shut up!" the right face wailed. "Not you, milady! Of course I'll leave. I was just having a bit of fun. Doing my job. Offering choices."

"Causing indecision," the woman corrected. "Now be gone!"

The left face muttered, "Party power," then raised his silver key, inserted it into the air, and disappeared.

The goddess turned toward us, and gave each of us a look. All of them looked forced, but the look she gave me was the most noticeable. She gave me a frosty smile. _Leave these heroes to me_. That was never good with Hera. She probably wanted to tear me to shreds, but contained herself because of my father, Zeus.

She turned to Percy and smiled. "You must be hungry," she said. "Sit with me and talk."

She waved hand, and the old Roman fountain began to flow. Jets of clear water sprayed into the air. A marble table appeared, laden with platters of sandwiches and pitchers of lemonade.

"Who... who are you?" Percy asked.

Did I forget to tell him she was Hera? Did I also surprise myself by thinking about Hera so bluntly like that? Why am I even asking these questions?

"I am Hera." The woman smiled. "Queen of Heaven."

**Percy's POV**

I'd seen Hera once before at a Council of the Gods, but I hadn't paid much attention to her. At the time I'd been surrounded by a bunch of other gods who were debating whether or not to kill Thalia and me.

I didn't remember her looking so normal. Of course, gods are usually twenty feet tall when they're on Olympus, so that makes them look a lot less normal. But now, Hera looked like a regular mom.

She served us sandwiches and poured lemonade.

"Grover, dear," she said, "use your napkin. Don't eat it."

"Yes, ma'am," Grover said.

"Tyson, you're wasting away. Would you like another peanut butter sandwich?"

Tyson stifled a belch. "Yes, nice lady."

"Queen Hera," Thalia said a bit hesitantly and forcefully. "I can't believe it. What are you doing in the Labyrinth?"

Hera forced a smile. She flicked one finger and Thalia's hair combed itself. All the dirt and grime disappeared from her face.

"I came to see you, naturally," the goddess said.

Thalia and I exchanged nervous looks with Grover. Usually when the gods come looking for you, it's not out of the goodness of their hearts. It's because they want something.

Still, that didn't keep me from chowing down on turkey-and-Swiss sandwiches and chips and lemonade. I hadn't realized how hungry I was. Tyson was inhaling one peanut butter sandwich after another, and Grover was loving the lemonade, crunching the Styrofoam cup like an ice-cream cone.

"I didn't think you like heroes," I said.

Hera smiled indulgently. "Because of that little spat I had with Hercules? Honestly, I got so much bad press because of one disagreement."

"Uh... I'm no expert on Ancient Greek stories, but didn't you try to kill him, like, a lot of times?" I asked.

Hera waved her hand dismissively. "Water under the bridge, my dear. Besides, he was one of my loving husband's children by another woman. My patience wore thin, I'll admit it. But Zeus and I have had some excellent marriage counseling sessions since then. We've aired our feelings and come to an understanding—especially after that last little incident." She looked pointedly at Thalia.

"Her," I pointed at Thalia. I could tell that she was restraining blowing me to bits, but I couldn't help my ADHD.

"Percy Jackson. One of Poseidon's...children." I got the feeling she was thinking of another word besides _children_. "You are so much like your father." This time, I got the feeling she was insulting my father. But I had enough IQ points to know that talking back to a goddess was _extremely_stupid.

"Anyway," Hera said, calming her expression. "I certainly bear you no ill will. I appreciate the difficulty of your quest. Especially when you have troublemakers like Janus to deal with."

Thalia was careful with her wording. "Why was he here? He was driving... us crazy."

"Trying to," Hera said. "You must understand, the minor gods like Janus have always been frustrated by the small parts they play in the universe. Some, I fear, have little love for Olympus, and could easily be swayed to support the rise of my father."

"Your father?" I said. "Oh, right."

I'd forgotten that Kronos was Hera's dad, too, along with being the father to Zeus, Poseidon, and all the eldest Olympians. I guess that made Kronos my grandfather, but that thought was so weird I put it out of my mind.

"We must watch the minor gods," Hera said. "Janus. Hecate. Morpheus. They give lip service to Olympus, and yet—"

"That's where Dionysus went," I remembered. "He was checking on the minor gods."

"Indeed." Hera stared at the fading mosaics of the Olympians. "You see, in times of trouble, even gods can lose faith. They start putting their trust in the wrong things. They stop looking at the big picture and start being selfish. But I'm the goddess of marriage, you see. I'm used to perseverance. You have to rise above the squabbling and chaos, and keep believing. You have to always keep your goals in mind."

"What are your goals?" I asked.

She smiled. "To keep my family, the Olympians, together, of course. At the moment, the best way I can do that is by helping you. Zeus does not allow me to interfere much, I am afraid. But once every century or so, for a quest I care deeply about, he allows me to grant a wish."

"A wish?"

"Before you ask it, let me give you some advice, which I can do for free. I know you see Daedalus. His Labyrinth is as much a mystery to me as it is to you. But if you want to know his fate, I would visit my son Hephaestus at his forge. Daedalus was a great inventor, a mortal after Hephaestus's heart. There has never been a mortal Hephaestus admired more. If anyone would have kept up with Daedalus and could tell you his fate, it is Hephaestus."

"But how do we get there?" Thalia asked. "That's my wish. I want a way to navigate the Labyrinth."

Hera looked disappointed and angry at once. "So be it. You wish for something, however, that you have already been given."

Thalia glared at her step-mother. "What do you mean?"

"The means is already within your grasp." She looked at me. "You and Percy already know the answer."

"We do," Thalia and I said simultaneously.

Hera nodded.

"But _what_is it?" Thalia asked.

Hera shook her head. "Getting something and having the wits to use it...those are two different things."

The room rumbled like distant thunder. Hera stood. "That would be my cue. Zeus grows impatient. Think on what I have said, Thalia and Percy. Seek out Hephaestus. You will have to pass through the ranch, I imagine. But keep going. And use all the means at your disposal, however common they may seem."

She waved a hand and turned into white smoke. So did the food, just as Tyson chomped down on a sandwich that turned to mist in his mouth. The fountain trickled to a stop. The mosaic walls dimmed and turned grungy and faded again. The room was no longer any place you'd want to have a picnic.

Thalia stamped her foot. "What sort of help was that? 'Here, have a sandwich. Make a wish. Oops, I can't help you!' Poof!"

"Poof," Tyson agreed sadly, looking at his empty plate.

"Well we know Hera's a good actress," I said. "I swear to the gods that if I asked one more stupid question she would've blown."

Thalia laughed. "Every question you ask is stupid."

I pouted and crossed my arms like a little kid. "Meanie!"

She just sighed. "All right. Then we'll just keep going."

"Which way?" I asked. I really wanted to ask what Hera had mean- about the choice Thalia needed to make. But the Grover and Tyson both tensed. They stood up together like they'd rehearsed it. "Left," they both said.

Thalia frowned. "How can you be sure?"

"Because something is coming from the right," Grover said.

"Something big," Tyson agreed. "In a hurry."

"Left is sounding pretty good," I decided. Together we plunged into the dark corridor.

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear. It would be awesome if you guys could tell what mistakes there are so that I can fix them to make the story clearer. Thanks.**

**Hopefully you enjoyed this. Please review or private message me for suggestions and opinions.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**Check out my other stories. I recommend not viewing the 'Flash to the Past: Reading the Titan's Curse' one because it is discontinued.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**A HEADS UP: There will be a Zoe story that I'm going to post. I'm just thinking of some ideas before I put up a vote for you to choose which story you want.**

**Read the "Titan's Curse: Perlia Style" story first to get a background of what is happening.**


	8. A Hekaton-What?

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians' quotes and plot line. I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians characters. I am not Rick Riordan.**

**This is my fourth FanFic although my first one got reported for MST and the second one I put up for adoption. The third one is complete.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**Thanks for reading my story and if you have any comments or suggestions, review or private message me. If you do not like Perlia do not flame by sending me messages saying you don't like Perlia and random stuff like that.**

**Just in case you were wondering, the length of an update is according to the length of the chapters in the real book.**

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear. It would be awesome if you guys could tell what mistakes there are so that I can fix them to make the story clearer. Thanks.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**A HEADS UP: There will be a Zoe story that I'm going to post. I'm just thinking of some ideas before I put up a vote for you to choose which story you want.**

Chapter 8: A Hekaton-What?

**Thalia's POV**

The good news: the left tunnel was straight with no side exits, twists, or turns. The bad news; it was a dead end. After sprinting a hundred yards, we ran into an enormous boulder that completely blocked our path. And by ran into, I mean _ran_into.

With a grunt, I slammed into the giant boulder that was in front of us. I was slightly winded, but I've faced worse. Then Percy slammed into me. I didn't mind that it was Percy, but it still hurt like Hades.

"Ow!" he grunted.

Behind us, the sounds of dragging footsteps and heavy breathing echoed down the corridor. Something- probably some sort of monster -was on our tail.

"Tyson," Percy said, "can you-"

"Yes!" He slammed his shoulder against the rock so hard the whole tunnel shook. Dust trickled from the stone ceiling.

"Hurry!" Grover said. "Don't bring the roof down, but hurry!"

The boulder finally gave way with a horrible grinding noise. Tyson pushed it into a small room and we dashed through behind it.

"Close the entrance!" I said.

We all got on the other side of the boulder and pushed. Whatever was chasing us wailed in frustration as we heaved the rock back into place and sealed the corridor.

"We trapped it," Percy said.

"Or trapped ourselves," Grover said.

Percy and I turned. We were in a twenty-foot square cement room and the opposite wall was covered with metal bars. We'd tunneled straight into a cell.

* * *

"What in Hades?" I tugged on the bars. They didn't budge. Through the bars we could see rows of cells in a ring around a dark courtyard- at least three stories of metal doors and metal catwalks. I'd been in juvie before; it was not a pleasant place.

"A prison," Percy said. "Maybe Tyson can break-"

"Shh," said Grover. "Listen."

Somewhere above us, deep sobbing echoed through the building. There was another sound, too- a raspy voice muttering something that I couldn't make out. The words were strange.

"What's that language?" Percy whispered.

Tyson's eye widened. "Can't be."

"What?" Percy asked.

Tyson grabbed two bars on our cell door and bent them wide enough for even a Cyclops to slip through.

"Wait!" Grover called.

But Tyson wasn't about to wait. We ran after him. The prison was dark, only a few dim fluorescent lights flickering above.

"I know this place," I said to Percy. "This is Alcatraz."

"You mean that island that's near San Francisco?"

I nodded.

"Then how would you know what this place is?"

"When my mom went here when I was about six, I snuck onto one of those boats that comes here and mixed in with the crowd to get in," I said.

"Oh," was his response. I could tell he had doubts that we were in San Francisco, but I'd been here before with my mom.

"Freeze," Grover warned.

But Tyson kept going. Grover grabbed his arm and pulled him back with all his strength. "Stop, Tyson!" he whispered hoarsely. "Can't you see it?"

I followed his finger to where he was pointing, and I nearly had a heart attack. On the second-floor balcony, across the courtyard, was a monster more horrible than anything I'd ever seen before. And that's saying something because I got chased by almost all of Hades' minions.

It was sort of like a centaur, with a woman's body from the waist up. But instead of a horse's lower body, it had the body of a dragon- at least twenty feet long, black and scaly with enormous claws and a barbed tail. Her legs looked like they were tangled in vines, but then I realized they were sprouting snakes, hundreds of vipers darting around, constantly looking for something to bit. The woman's hair was also made of snakes, like Medusa's (although I don't think that she could turn people into statues. Weirdest of all, around her waist, where the woman part met the dragon part, her skin bubbled and morphed, occasionally producing the heads of animals- a vicious wolf, a bear, a lion, as if she were wearing a belt of ever-changing creatures. I got the feeling I was looking at something half-formed, a monster so old it was from the time of the Titans.

"It's her," Tyson whimpered.

"Get down!" Grover said.

We crouched in the shadows, but the monster wasn't paying us any attention. It seemed to be talking to someone inside a cell on the second floor. That's where the sobbing was coming from. The dragon woman said something in her weird rumbling language.

"What's she saying?" Percy muttered. "What's that language?"

"The tongue of the old times." Tyson shivered. "What Mother Earth spoke to Titans and...her other children. Before the gods."

_So I was right!_

"You understand it?" Percy asked. "Can you translate?"

Tyson closed his eyes and began to speak in a horrible, raspy woman's voice. "You will work for the master or suffer."

I nearly jumped out of my skin. "What is he doing?"

"All Cyclopes have superhuman hearing and an uncanny ability to mimic voices. It's almost like he enters a trance when he speaks in other voices," Percy replied.

If this were a normal situation, I would have mocked him about using big words like _uncanny_ and _mimic_. Okay, I know. Those aren't big words, but for Percy they should be. But this was anything but normal.

"I will not serve," Tyson said in a deep, wounded voice.

He switched to the monster's voice: "Then I shall enjoy your pain, Briares." Tyson faltered when he said that name. Then he continued in the monster's voice. "If you thought your first  
imprisonment was unbearable, you have yet to feel true torment. Think on this until I return."

The dragon lady tromped toward the stairwell, vipers hissing around her legs like grass skirts. She spread wings that I hadn't noticed before—huge bad wings she kept folded against her dragon back. She leaped off the catwalk and soared across the courtyard. We crouched lower in the shadows. A hot sulfurous wind blasted my face as the monster flew over. Then she disappeared around the corner.

"H-h-horrible," Grover said. "I've never smelled any monster that strong."

"Cyclopes' worst nightmare," Tyson murmured. "Kampê."

"Who?" Percy asked.

Tyson swallowed. "Every Cyclops knows about her. Stories about her scare us when we're babies. She was our jailer in the bad years."

Percy nodded and signaled for Tyson to go on.

"When the Titans ruled, they imprisoned Gaea and Ouranos' earlier children—the Cyclopes and the Hekatonkheires."

"The Heka-what?" Percy and I asked.

Well... I said, "The Hekaton-what?"- but it's all the same.

"The Hundred-Handed Ones," Tyson said.

"Oh," I said, remembering the species of marvelous creatures. "They called them that because they had a hundred hands."

"Gee," Percy rolled his eyes playfully. "I couldn't have figured that out."

"They were the older brothers of the Cyclopes."

"Very powerful," Tyson agreed. "Wonderful! As tall as the sky. So strong they could break mountains!"

"Cool," Percy said. "Unless you're a mountain."

"Kampê was the jailer," he said. "She worked for Kronos. She kept our brothers locked up in Tartarus, tortured them always, until Zeus came. He killed Kampê and freed Cyclopes and Hundred-Handed Ones to help fight against the Titans in the big war."

"And now Kampê is back," Percy said.

"Bad," Tyson summed up.

"So who's in that cell?" Percy asked. "You said a name-"

"Briares!" Tyson perked up. "He is a Hundred-Handed One. They are as tall as the sky and-"

"Yeah," Percy interrupted. "They break mountains."

We looked up at the cells above us, wondering how something as tall as the sky could fit in a tiny cell, and why he was crying.

"I guess we should check it out," I said, "before Kampê comes back."

**Percy's POV**

As we approached the cell, the weeping got louder. When I first saw the creature inside, I wasn't sure what I was looking at. He was human-size and his skin was very pale, the color of milk. He wore a loincloth like a big diaper. His feet seemed too big for his body, with cracked dirty toenails, eight toes on each foot. But the top half of his body was the weird part. He made Janus look downright normal. His chest sprouted more arms than I could count, in rows, all around his body. The arms looked like normal arms, but there were so many of them, all tangled together, that his chest looked kind of like a forkful of spaghetti somebody had twirled together. Several of his hands were covering his face as he sobbed.

"Either the sky isn't as tall as it used to be," I muttered, "or he's short."

Tyson didn't pay any attention. He fell to his knees.

"Briares!" he called.

The sobbing stopped.

"Great Hundred-Handed One!" Tyson said. "Help us!"

Briares looked up. His face was long and sad, with a crooked nose and bad teeth. He had deep brown eyes—I mean completely brown with no whites or black pupils, like eyes formed out of clay.

"Run while you can, Cyclops," Briares said miserably. "I cannot even help myself."

"You are a Hundred-Handed One!" Tyson insisted. "You can do anything!"

Briares wiped his nose with five or six hands. Several others were fidgeting with little pieces of metal and wood from a broken bed, the way Tyson always played with spare parts. It was amazing to watch. The hands seemed to have a mind of their own. They built a toy boat out of wood, then disassembled it just as fast. Other hands were scratching at the cement floor for no apparent reason. Others were playing rock, paper, scissors. A few others were making ducky and doggie shadow puppets against the wall.

"I cannot," Briares moaned. "Kampê is back! The Titans will rise and throw us back into Tartarus."

"Put on your brave face!" Tyson said.

Immediately Briares' face morphed into something else. Same brown eyes, but otherwise totally different features. He had an upturned nose, arched eyebrows, and a weird smile, like he was trying to act brave. But then his face turned back to what it had been before.

"No good," he said. "My scared face keeps coming back."

"How did you do that?" I asked.

Thalia elbowed me. "Don't be rude. The Hundred-Handed Ones all have fifty different faces."

"Must make it hard to get a yearbook picture," I said. "And how do you know this?"

"My dad _did_pop a whole bunch of Greek myth books at my house when I was a kid."

Tyson was still entranced. "It will be okay, Briares! We will help you! Can I have your autograph?"

Briares sniffled. "Do you have one hundred pens?"

"Guys," Grover interrupted. "We have to get out of here. Kampê will be back. She'll sense us sooner or later."

"Break the bars," Thalia said.

"Yes!" Tyson said, smiling proudly. "Briares can do it. He is very strong. Stronger than Cyclopes, even! Watch!"

Briares whimpered. A dozen of his hands started playing patty-cake, but none of them made any attempt to break the bars.

"If he's so strong," I said, "why is he stuck in jail?"

Thalia ribbed me again. "He's terrified," she whispered. "Kampê had imprisoned him in Tartarus for thousands of years. How would you feel?"

"Like I keep asking, how do you know this stuff?"

"I don't have kelp for brains, unlike you."

The Hundred-Handed One covered his face again.

"Briares?" Tyson asked. "What…what is wrong? Show us your great strength!"

"Tyson," I said, "I think you'd better break the bars."

Tyson's smile melted slowly.

"I will break the bars," he repeated. He grabbed the cell door and ripped it off its hinges like it was made of wet clay.

"Come on, Briares," Thalia said. "Let's get you out of here."

She held out her hand. For a second, Briares' face morphed to a hopeful expression. Several of his arms reached out, but twice as many slapped them away.

"I cannot," he said. "She will punish me."

"It's all right," Thalia promised. "You fought the Titans before, and you won, remember?"

"I remember the war." Briares' face morphed again—furrowed brow and a pouting mouth. His brooding face, I guess. "Lightning shook the world. We threw many rocks. The Titans and the monsters almost won. Now they are getting strong again. Kampê said so."

"Don't listen to her," I said. "Come on!"

He didn't move. I knew Grover was right. We didn't have much time before Kampê returned. But I couldn't just leave him here. Tyson would cry for weeks.

"One game of rock, paper, scissors," I blurted out. "If I win, you come with us. If I lose, we'll leave you in jail."

Grover and Thalia looked at me like I was crazy.

Briares' face morphed to doubtful. "I always win rock, paper, scissors."

"Then let's do it!" I pounded my fist in my palm three times.

Briares did the same with all one hundred hands, which sounded like an army marching three steps forward. He came up with a whole avalanche of rocks, a classroom set of scissors, and enough paper to make a fleet of airplanes.

"I told you," he said sadly. "I always—" His face morphed to confusion. "What is that you made?"

"A gun," I told him, showing him my finger gun. It was a trick Paul Blofis had pulled on me, but I wasn't going to tell him that. "A gun beats anything."

"That's not fair."

"I didn't say anything about fair. Kampê's not going to be fair if we hang around. She's going to blame you for ripping off the bars. Now come on!"

Briares sniffled. "Demigods are cheaters." But he slowly rose to his feet and followed us out of the cell.

I started to feel hopeful. All we had to do was get downstairs and find the Labyrinth entrance. But then Tyson froze.

On the ground floor right below, Kampê was snarling at us.

* * *

"The other way," I said.

We bolted down the catwalk. This time Briares was happy to follow us. In fact he sprinted out front, a hundred arms waving in panic.

Behind us, I heard the sound of giant wings as Kampê took to the air. She hissed and growled in her ancient language, but I didn't need a translation to know she was planning to kill us.

We scrambled down the stairs, through a corridor, and past a guard's station—out into another block of prison cells.

"Left," Thalia said.

"How do you know?"

"Too late to change directions." We had turned left a couple of seconds ago.

We burst outside and found ourselves in the prison yard, ringed by security towers and barbed wire. After being inside for so long, the daylight almost blinded me. Tourists were milling around, taking pictures. The wind whipped cold off the bay. In the south, San Francisco gleamed all white and beautiful, but in the north, over Mount Tamalpais, huge storm clouds swirled.

The whole sky seemed like a black top spinning from the mountain where Atlas was imprisoned, and where the Titan palace of Mount Othrys was rising anew. It was hard to believe the tourists couldn't see the supernatural storm brewing, but they didn't give any hint that anything was wrong.

"That looks bad," said Thalia who was gazing at the mountain.

"Keep moving," Briares wailed. "She is behind us!"

We ran to the far end of the yard, as far from the cellblock as possible.

"Kampê's too big to get through the doors," I said hopefully.

Then the wall exploded.

Tourists screamed as Kampê appeared from the dust and rubble, her wings spread out as wide as the yard. She was holding two swords—long bronze scimitars that glowed with a weird greenish aura, boiling wisps of vapor that smelled sour and hot even across the yard.

"Poison!" Grover yelped. "Don't let those things touch you or…"

"Or we'll die?" I guessed.

"Well…after you shrivel slowly to dust, yes."

"Let's avoid the swords," I decided.

"Briares, fight!" Tyson urged. "Grow to full size!"

Instead, Briares looked like he was trying to shrink even smaller. He appeared to be wearing his absolutely terrified face.

Kampê thundered toward us on her dragon legs, hundreds of snakes slithering around her body.

For a second I thought about drawing Riptide and facing her, but my heart crawled into my throat. Then Thalia said what I was thinking: "Run."

That was the end of the debate. There was no fighting this thing. We ran through the jail yard and out the gates of the prison, the monster right behind us. Mortals screamed and ran. Emergency sirens began to blare.

We hit the wharf just as a tour boat was unloading. The new group of visitors froze as they saw us charging toward them, followed by a mob of frightened tourists, followed by…I don't know what they saw through the Mist, but it could not have been good.

"The boat?" Grover asked.

"Too slow," Tyson said. "Back into the maze. Only chance."

"We need a diversion," Thalia said. She shot lightning at Kampê, but the monster was too quick. Kampê swooped out of the way of the lightning.

Tyson ripped a metal lamp post out of the ground. "I will distract Kampê. You run ahead."

"I'll help you," I said.

"No," Tyson said. "You go. Poison will hurt Cyclopes. A lot of pain. But it won't kill."

"Are you sure?"

"Go, brother. I will meet you inside."

I hated the idea. I'd almost lost Tyson once before, and I didn't want to ever risk that again. But there was no time to argue, and I had no better idea. Thalia, Grover, and I each took one of Briares' hands and dragged him toward the concession stands while Tyson bellowed, lowered his pole, and charged Kampê like a jousting knight.

She'd been glaring at Briares, but Tyson got her attention as soon as he nailed her in the chest with the pole, pushing her back into the wall. She shrieked and slashed with her swords, slicing the pole to shreds. poison dripped in pools all around her, sizzling into the cement.

Tyson jumped back as Kampê's hair lashed and hissed, and the vipers around her legs darted their tongues in every direction. A lion popped out of the weird half-formed faces around her waist and roared.

As we sprinted for the cellblocks, the last thing I saw was Tyson picking up a Dippin' Dots stand and throwing it at Kampê. Ice cream and poison exploded everywhere, all the little snakes in Kampê's hair dotted with tutti-frutti. We dashed back into the jail yard.

"Can't make it," Briares huffed.

"Tyson is risking his life to help you!" I yelled at him. "You will make it."

As we reached the door of the cellblock, I heard an angry roar. I glanced back and saw Tyson running toward us at full speed, Kampê right behind him. She was plastered in ice cream and T-shirts. One of the bear heads on her waist was now wearing a pair of crooked plastic Alcatraz sunglasses.

"Hurry!" Thalia said, like I needed to be told that.

We finally found the cell where we'd come in, but the back wall was completely smooth—no sign of a boulder or anything.

"Look for the mark!" Thalia said.

"There!" Grover touched a tiny scratch, and it became a Greek Δ. The mark of Daedalus glowed blue, and the stone wall grinded open.

Too slowly. Tyson was coming through the cellblock, Kampê's swords lashing out behind him, slicing indiscriminately through cell bars and stone walls.

I pushed Briares inside the maze, then Thalia and Grover.

"You can do it!" I told Tyson. But immediately I knew he couldn't Kampê was gaining. She raised her swords. I need a distraction—something big. I slapped my wristwatch and it spiraled into a bronze shield. Desperately, I threw it at the monster's face.

_SMACK!_The shield hit her in the face and she faltered just long enough for Tyson to dive past me into the maze. I was right behind him.

Kampê charged, but she was too late. The stone door closed and its magic sealed us in. I could feel the whole tunnel shake as Kampê pounded against it, roaring furiously. We didn't stick around to play knock, knock with her, though. We raced into the darkness, and for the first time (and the last) I was glad to be back in the Labyrinth.

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear. It would be awesome if you guys could tell what mistakes there are so that I can fix them to make the story clearer. Thanks.**

**Hopefully you enjoyed this. Please review or private message me for suggestions and opinions.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**Check out my other stories. I recommend not viewing the 'Flash to the Past: Reading the Titan's Curse' one because it is discontinued.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**A HEADS UP: There will be a Zoe story that I'm going to post. I'm just thinking of some ideas before I put up a vote for you to choose which story you want.**

**Read the "Titan's Curse: Perlia Style" story first to get a background of what is happening.**


	9. We Find Nico di Angelo

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians' quotes and plot line. I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians characters. I am not Rick Riordan.**

**This is my fourth FanFic although my first one got reported for MST and the second one I put up for adoption. The third one is complete.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**Thanks for reading my story and if you have any comments or suggestions, review or private message me. If you do not like Perlia do not flame by sending me messages saying you don't like Perlia and random stuff like that.**

**Just in case you were wondering, the length of an update is according to the length of the chapters in the real book.**

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear. It would be awesome if you guys could tell what mistakes there are so that I can fix them to make the story clearer. Thanks.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**A HEADS UP: There will be a Zoe story that I'm going to post. I'm just thinking of some ideas before I put up a vote for you to choose which story you want.**

Chapter 9: We Find Nico di Angelo

**Thalia's POV**

We finally stopped in a room full of waterfalls. The floor was one big pit, ringed by a slippery stone walkway. Around us, on all four walls, water tumbled from huge pipes. The water spilled down into the pit, and even when I shine a light, I couldn't see the bottom.

Briares slumped against the wall. He scooped up water in a dozen hands and washed his face. "This pit goes straight to Tartarus," he murmured. "I should jump in and save you trouble."

"Don't talk that way," Percy told him. "You can come back to camp with us. You can help us prepare."

"Percy's right," I said. "You know more about fighting Titans than anybody."

"I have nothing to offer," Briares said. "I have lost everything."

"What about your brothers?" Tyson asked. "The other two must stand tall as mountains! We can take you to them."

Briares' expression morphed to something even sadder: his grieving face. "They are no more. They faded."

The waterfalls thundered. Tyson stared into the pit and blinked tears out of his eye.

"What exactly do you mean, _they faded_?" Percy asked. "I thought monsters were immortal, like the gods."

"Percy," Grover said weakly, "even immortality has limits. Sometimes...sometimes monsters get forgotten and they lose their will to stay immortal."

I looked at Grover's face and wondered if he was thinking of Pan. I knew that the gorgons had passed on and left Medusa alone because their sister took all of their fame. Then last year Apollo said something about the old god Helios disappearing and leaving him with the doodies of the sun god.

I frowned. Maybe I heard that wrong. I was in a sour mood because of the Hunters.

Looking back at Briares, I couldn't help but feel pity to the old monster because being thousands of years old and totally alone is something that I would never imagine happen to me.

"I must go," Briares said.

"Kronos' army will invade camp," Tyson said. "We need help."

Briares hung his head. "I cannot, Cyclops."

"You are strong."

"Not anymore." Briares rose.

"Hey," Percy grabbed one of his arms and pulled him aside, where the roar of the water would hide their words.

I read their lips and caught a couple of words. I put two and two together and got four. Percy was telling Briares about everything: Luke's invasion plan, the Labyrinth entrance at camp, Daedalus' workshop and Kronos' golden coffin (Percy told me all about the coffin after we got expelled from MS-54).

Then Briares said something and point one hundred finger guns at Percy. He shook his head. After a couple more words exchanged by the two, Briares turned and trudged off down the corridor until he was lost in the shadows.

Tyson sobbed.

"It's okay," Grover hesitantly patted his shoulder, which must've taken all his courage.

Tyson sneezed. "It's not okay, goat boy. He was my hero."

Percy looked at Tyson sympathetically. I also felt bad for him, but I was getting an eerie feeling from the pit to Tartarus. It made me quite nervous.

After a couple of seconds, I stood and shouldered my backpack. "Come on, guys. This pit is making me nervous. Let's find a better place to camp for the night."

**Percy's POV**

We settled in a corridor made of huge marble blocks. It looked like it could've been part of a Greek tomb, with bronze torch holders fastened to the walls. It had to be an older part of the maze, and Thalia thought this was probably a good sign.

"I'm hoping that Malcolm is right," she said. "We're getting to the older section of this maze so we are probably closer to Daedalus' workshop. Get some rest, everybody. We'll keep going later."

"How are we supposed to wake up?" Grover asked.

"Percy will wake you up. He's on night watch later on," she shrugged.

Grover pulled a heap of straw out of his pack, ate some of it, made a pillow out of the rest, and was snoring in no time. Tyson took longer getting to sleep. He tinkered with some metal scraps from his building kit for a while, but whatever he was making, he wasn't happy with it. He kept disassembling the pieces.

"I'm sorry I lost the shield," I told him. "You worked so hard to repair it."

Tyson looked up. His eye was bloodshot from crying. "Do not worry, brother. You saved me. You wouldn't have had to if Briares had helped."

"He was just scared," I said. "I'm sure he'll get over it."

"He is not strong," Tyson said. "He is not important anymore."

He heaved a big sad sigh, then closed his eye. The metal pieces fell out of his hand, still unassembled, and Tyson began to snore.

I tried to fall asleep myself, but I couldn't. Something about being chased by a large dragon lady with poison swords made it real hard to relax. I picked up my bedroll and dragged it over to where Thalia was sitting, keeping watch.

I sat down next to her.

Her face was gloomy in the light of the fire. "You should sleep, Percy."

"Can't. You doing all right?"

"Sure. First day in the Labyrinth and got lost twice. It's going just great."

"We'll get there," I said. "We'll find the workshop before Luke does."

She ran a hand through her spiky hair and down to her neck. Most of her hair had grown past her shoulders and she could now twirl it. I looked back up to the top of her head. The level of spikiness of her hair had dropped significantly in the past six months. Although with her dad's genes, the hair was straight unlike Annabeth.

I remembered the pictures in Thalia's cabin of the 'good ole days' when she, Annabeth and Luke were on the run. The fierceness in her eyes really reflected her personality well. Annabeth told me how after saving Luke, Thalia and Grover, that Thalia had battled the Cyclops mostly by herself. Even when she was tired, I knew she was brave and could lead us well.

"I just wish we could just find Daedalus already," she complained. "I mean, we're traveling but we have no idea where we'll end up. We walked from New York to California in a day."

"Space isn't the same in the maze."

"I know, I know. It's just..." She looked at me with exasperation. "Wouldn't Daedalus' workshop be in the center. Like Kansas... or Colorado?"

"We'll just go back around," I said. "It won't be too hard."

"But we don't even know what we're doing," she said.

"Did we have a plan of where to go last winter?"

"Well, no."

"See. Everything will work out."

"But last time we had a set direction."

"And this time we have a set _destination_."

Thalia blinked. "Wow. You're so obtuse sometimes that I forget that you are in fact smart."

"Thanks," I said dryly.

She smiled, but then it faded into an expression of confusion.

"Percy, what did Hera mean when she said that we knew the way to get through the maze?"

"Honestly, I don't know," I admitted.

Thalia put her face down and leaned into me. She had a worried expression now.

"What's the problem now?" I asked.

"Huh?"

"What's wrong?"

"It's... it's nothing."

"Come on, Thals. You can tell me," I urged.

"Does it have to do with the choice that Janus mentioned?"

"No. Frankly, I don't even know what he was talking about." However, I could tell that she was holding something back. There was a little self-doubt in her facial expression.

We sat in silence, listening to strange creaks and groans in the maze, the echo of stones grinding together as tunnels changed, grew, and expanded. I played with Thalia's hair as I was reminded of the visions I'd seen of Nico di Angelo, and suddenly I realized something.

"Nico is down here somewhere," I said. "That's how he disappeared from camp. He found the Labyrinth. Then he found a path that led down even farther- to the Underworld. But now he's back in the maze. He's coming after me."

"Why?"

I told her about my dream of Nico and the ghost wanting vengeance on a soul that had cheated death. Thalia was quiet for a long time. "Percy, I don't think that he's coming after you. You didn't cheat death. You just miraculously survived. Don't worry."

I was about to protest, but I relented what could've have possibly escalated into a vicious argument. Thalia kept her flashlight pointed at one spot on the wall and stared at it. Her eyes were droopy and had dark circles under them. I'd never seen Thalia look this tired. Even after getting all of the information to get _into_the Labyrinth.

"How about I take first watch?" I said. "I'll wake you if anything happens."

Thalia looked like she wanted to protest, but she just nodded, kissed me, slumped into her bedroll, and closed her eyes.

* * *

When it was my turn to sleep, I dreamed I was back in the old man's Labyrinth prison.

It looked more like a workshop now. Tables were littered with measuring instruments. A forge burned red hot in the corner. The boy I'd seen in the last dream was stoking the bellows, except he was taller now, almost my age. A weird funnel device was attached to the forge's chimney, trapping the smoke and heat and channeling it through a pipe into the floor, next to a big bronze manhole cover.

It was daytime. The sky above was blue, but the walls of the maze cast deep shadows across the workshop. After being in tunnels so long, I found it weird that part of the Labyrinth could be open to the sky. Somehow that made the maze seem like even a crueler place.

The old man looked sickly. He was terribly thin, his hands raw and red from working. White hair covered his eyes, and his tunic was smeared with grease. He was bent over a table, working on some kind of long metal patchwork—like a swath of chain mail. He picked up a delicate curl of bronze and fitted it into place.

"Done," he announced. "It's done."

He picked up his project. It was so beautiful, my heart leaped—metal wings constructed from thousands of interlocking bronze feathers. There were two sets. One still lay on the table. Daedalus stretched the frame, and the wings expanded twenty feet. Part of me knew it could never fly. It was too heavy, and there'd be no way to get off the ground. But the craftsmanship was amazing. Metal feathers caught the light and flashed thirty different shades of gold.

The boy left the bellows and ran over to see. He grinned, despite the fact that he was grimy and sweaty. "Father, you're a genius!"

The old man smiled. "Tell me something I don't know, Icarus. Now hurry. It will take at least an hour to attach them. Come."

"You first," Icarus said.

The old man protested, but Icarus insisted. "You made them, Father. You should get the honor of wearing them first."

The boy attached a leather harness to his father's chest, like climbing gear, with straps that ran from his shoulders to his wrists. Then he began fastening on the wings, using a metal canister that looked like an enormous hot-glue gun.

"The wax compound should hold for several hours," Daedalus said nervously as his son worked. "But we must let it set first. And we would do well to avoid flying too high or too low. The sea would wet the wax seals—"

"And the sun's heat would loosen them," the boy finished. "Yes, Father. We've been through this a million times!"

"One cannot be too careful."

"I have complete faith in your inventions, Father! No one has ever been as smart as you."

The old man's eyes shone. It was obvious he loved his son more than anything in the world. "Now I will do your wings, and give mine a chance to set properly. Come!"

It was slow going. The old man's hands fumbled with the straps. He had a hard time keeping the wings in position while he sealed them. His own metal wings seemed to weigh him down, getting in his way while he tried to work.

"Too slow," the old man muttered. "I am too slow."

"Take your time, Father," the boy said. "The guards aren't due until—"

_BOOM!_

The workshop doors shuddered. Daedalus had barred them from the inside with a wooden brace, but still they shook on their hinges.

"Hurry!" Icarus said.

_BOOM! BOOM!_

Something heavy was slamming into the doors. The brace held, but a crack appeared in the left door.

Daedalus worked furiously. A drop of hot wax spilled onto Icarus' shoulder. The boy winced but did not cry out. When his left wing was sealed into the straps, Daedalus began working on the right.

"We must have more time," Daedalus murmured. "They are too early! We need more time for the seal to hold."

"It'll be fine," Icarus said, as his father finished the right wing. "Help me with the manhole—"

_CRASH!_The doors splintered and the head of a bronze battering ram emerged through the breach. Axes cleared the debris, and two armed guards entered the room, followed by the king with the golden crown and the spear-shaped beard.

"Well, well," the king said with a cruel smile. "Going somewhere?"

Daedalus and his son froze, their metal wings glimmering on their backs.

"We're leaving, Minos," the old man said.

King Minos chuckled. "I was curious to see how far you'd get on this little project before I dashed your hopes. I must say I'm impressed."

The king admired their wings. "You look like metal chickens," he decided. "Perhaps we should pluck you and make a soup."

The guards laughed stupidly.

"Metal chickens," one repeated. "Soup."

"Shut up," the king said. Then he turned again to Daedalus. "You let my daughter escape, old man. You drove my wife to madness. You killed my monster and made me the laughingstock of the Mediterranean. You will never escape me!"

Icarus grabbed the wax gun and sprayed it at the king, who stepped back in surprise. The guards rushed forward, but each got a stream of hot wax in his face.

"The vent!" Icarus yelled to his father.

"Get them!" King Minos raged.

Together, the old man and his son pried open the manhole cover, and a column of hot air blasted out of the ground. The king watched, incredulous, as the inventor and son shot into the sky on their bronze wings, carried by the updraft.

"Shoot them!" the king yelled, but his guards had brought no bows. One threw his sword in desperation, but Daedalus and Icarus were already out of reach. They wheeled above the maze and the king's palace, then zoomed across the city of Knossos and out past the rocky shores of Crete.

Icarus laughed. "Free, Father! You did it."

The boy spread his wings to their full limit and soared away on the wind.

"Wait!" Daedalus called. "Be careful!"

But Icarus was already out over the open sea, heading north and delighting in their good luck. He soared up and scared an eagle out of its flight path, then plummeted toward the sea like he was born to fly, pulling out of a nosedive at the last second. His sandals skimmed the waves.

"Stop that!" Daedalus called. But the wind carried his voice away. His son was drunk on his own freedom.

The old man struggled to catch up, gliding clumsily after his son.

They were miles from Crete, over deep sea, when Icarus looked back and saw his father's worried expression.

Icarus smiled. "Don't worry, Father! You're a genius! I trust your handiwork—"

The first metal feather shook loose from his wings and fluttered away.

Then another. Icarus wobbled in midair. Suddenly he was shedding bronze feathers, which twirled away from him like a flock of frightened birds.

"Icarus!" his father cried. "Glide! Extend the wings. Stay as still as possible!"

But Icarus flapped his arms, desperately trying to reassert control.

The left wing went first—ripping away from the straps.

"Father!" Icarus cried. And then he fell, the wings stripped away until he was just a boy in a climbing harness and a white tunic, his arms extended in a useless attempt to glide.

I woke with a start, feeling like I was falling. The corridor was dark. In the constant moaning of the Labyrinth, I thought I could hear the anguished cry of Daedalus calling his son's name, as Icarus, his only joy, plummeted toward the sea, three hundred feet below.

**Thalia's POV**

There was no morning in the maze, but I guessed the time and woke everyone up. We had a terrible breakfast consisting of granola bars and juice boxes. After breakfast, we kept traveling. Percy seemed reluctant to share info with us. Although the dream was probably very disturbing, it didn't mean he could just keep important information away from us.

The old stone tunnel changed to dirt with cedar beams, like a gold mine or something. I started to feel a little nervous.

"This isn't right," I said. "It should still be stone."

We came to a cave where stalactites hung low from the ceiling. In the center of the dirt floor was a rectangular pit, like a grave.

Grover shivered. "It smells like the Underworld in here."

Something caught Percy's attention. I looked at what he was looking at and saw a foil wrapper. Percy shined his flashlight into the hole and we saw a half-chewed cheeseburger floating in brown carbonated muck.

"Nico," Percy said. "He was summoning the dead again."

Tyson whimpered. "Ghosts were here. I don't like ghosts."

"We've got to find him." Percy looked urgent.

I looked down and the muck. It didn't look new. In fact, it looked kind of new, like he'd summoned ghosts recently.

"Look Percy, I understand... Percy!" He started to run away from us. I had no choice but to follow him.

"Come on," I told Grover and Tyson. Then I sprinted after Percy.

He ducked into a tunnel and saw something, because he ran faster. I ducked into the tunnel he went into and started seeing light up ahead. After I turned the corner, I saw Percy standing in the middle of the tunnel staring up at the daylight streaming through a set of bars above his head. When we caught up to him, I noticed we were under a steel grate made out of metal pipes. I could see trees and blue sky.

"Where are we?" Percy wondered.

Then a shadow fell across the grate and a cow stared down at us. It looked like a normal cow except with a weird color- bright red, like a cherry. I guessed that these were Apollo's cattle.

The cow mooed, put one hoof tentatively on the bars, then backed away.

"It's a cattle guard," Grover said.

"A what?" Percy asked.

"They put them at the gates of ranches so cows can't get out. They can't walk on them."

"How do you know that?"

Grover huffed indignantly. "Believe me, if _you_had hooves, you'd know about cattle guards. They're annoying!"

Percy turned to me. "Didn't Hera say something about a ranch? We need to check it out. Nico might be there."

I hesitated. "All right. But how do we get out?"

Tyson solved that problem by hitting the cattle guard with both hands. It popped off and went flying out of sight. We heard a _CLANG!_ and a startled _Moo!_Tyson blushed.

"Sorry, cow!" he called.

Then he gave us a boost out of the tunnel.

**Percy's POV**

We were on a ranch, all right. Rolling hills stretched to the horizon, dotted with oak trees and cacti and boulders. A barbed wire fence ran from the gate in either direction. Cherry-colored cows roamed around, grazing on clumps of grass.

"I'm pretty sure that these are Apollo's cattle," Thalia said.

"Holy cows?"

She stifled a laugh. "Exactly. But I have no idea what they are doing-"

"Wait," Grover said. "Listen."

At first everything seemed quiet…but then I heard it: the distant baying of dogs. The sound got louder. Then the underbrush rustled, and two dogs broke through. Except it wasn't two dogs. It was _one_dog with two heads. It looked like a greyhound, long and snaky and sleek brown, but its neck V'd into two heads, both of them snapping and snarling and generally not very glad to see us.

"Bad Janus dog!" Tyson cried.

"_Arf!_" Grover told it, and raised a hand in greeting.

The two-headed dog bared its teeth. I guess it wasn't impressed that Grover could speak animal. Then its master lumbered out of the woods, and I realized the dog was the least of our problems.

He was a huge guy with stark white hair, a straw cowboy hat, and a braided white beard— kind of like Father Time, if Father Time went redneck and got totally jacked. He was wearing jeans, a DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS T-shirt, and a denim jacket with the sleeves ripped off so you could see his muscles. On his right bicep was a crossed-swords tattoo. He held a  
wooden club about the size of a nuclear warhead, with six-inch spikes bristling at the business end.

"Heel, Orthus," he told the dog.

The dog growled at us once more, just to make his feelings clear, just to make his feelings clear, then circled back to his master's feet. The man looked us up and down, keeping his club ready.

"What've we got here?" he asked. "Cattle rustlers?"

"Just travelers," Thalia said. "We're on a quest."

The man's eye twitched. "Half-bloods, eh?"

I started to say, "How did you know-"

Thalia put her hand on my mouth. "Sorry about him. I'm Thalia, daughter of Zeus. This is Percy, son of Poseidon. Grover the satyr. Tyson the-"

"Cyclops," the man finished. "Yes, I can see that." He glowered at me. "And I know half-bloods because I _am_one, sonny. I'm Eurytion, the cowherd for this here ranch. Son of Ares. You came through the Labyrinth like the other one, I reckon."

"The other one?" I asked. "You mean Nico di Angelo?"

"We get a load of visitors from the Labyrinth," Eurytion said darkly. "Not many ever leave."

"Wow," I said. "I feel welcome."

The cowherd glanced behind him like someone was watching. Then he lowered his voice. "I'm only going to say this once, demigods. Get back in the maze now. Before it's too late."

"We're not leaving," Thalia insisted. "Not until we see this other demigod. Please."

Eurytion grunted. "Then you leave me no choice, missy. I've got to take you to the boss."

* * *

I didn't' feel like we were hostages or anything. Eurytion walked alongside us with his club across his shoulder. Orthus the two-headed dog growled a lot and sniffed at Grover's legs and shot into the bushes once in awhile to chase animals, but Eurytion kept him more or less under control.

We walked down a dirt path that seemed to go on forever. It must've been close to a hundred degrees, which was a shock after San Francisco. Heat shimmered off the ground. Insects buzzed in the trees. Before we'd gone very far, I was sweating like crazy. Flies swarmed us. Every so often we'd see a pen full of red cows or even stranger animals. Once we passed a corral where the fence was coated in asbestos. Inside, a herd of fire-breathing horses milled around. The hay in their feeding trough was on fire. The ground smoked around their feet, but the horses seemed tame enough. One big stallion looked at me and whinnied, columns of red flame billowing out his nostrils. I wondered if it hurt his sinuses.

"What are_ they_for?" I asked.

Eurytion scowled. "We raise animals for lots of clients. Apollo, Diomedes, and…others."

"Like who?"

"No more questions."

Finally we came out of the woods. Perched on a hill above us was a big ranch house—all white stone and wood and big windows.

"That looks like...the Wild West?" Thalia said, but it sounded more like a question.

Like me, she probably had no clue what to make of this ranch. If Annabeth were here, she'd start spouting random facts about architecture.

"Don't break the rules," Eurytion warned as we walked up the steps to the front porch. "No fighting. No drawing weapons. And don't make any comments about the boss's appearance."

"Why?" I asked. "What does he look like?"

Before Eurytion could reply, a new voice said, "Welcome to the Triple G Ranch."

The man on the porch had a normal head, which was a relief. His face was weathered and brown from years in the sun. He had a slick black hair and a black pencil moustache like villains have in old movies. He smiled at us, but the smile wasn't friendly; more amused, like _Oh boy, more people to torture!_

I didn't ponder that very long, though, because then I noticed his body…or bodies. He had three of them. Now you'd think I would've gotten used to weird anatomy after Janus and Briares, but this guy was three complete people. His neck connected to the middle chest like normal, but he had two more chests, one to either side, connected at the shoulders, with a few inches between. His left arm grew out of his left chest, and the same on the right, so he had two arms, but four armpits, if that makes any sense. The chests all connected into one enormous torso, with two regular but very beefy legs, and he wore the most oversized pair of Levis I'd ever seen. His chests each wore a different color Western shirt—green, yellow, red, like a stoplight. I wondered how he dressed the middle chest, since it had no arms.

The cowherd Eurytion nudged me. "Say Hello to Mr. Geryon."

"Hi," I said. "Nice chests—uh, ranch! Nice ranch you have."

Before the three-bodied man could respond, Nico di Angelo came out of the glass doors onto the porch. "Geryon, I won't wait for—"

He froze when he saw us.

"That's—"

"Percy Jackson," Geryon supplied. "Thalia Grace. And a couple of their monster friends. Yes, I know."

"Monster friends?" Grover said indignantly.

"That man is wearing three shirts," Tyson said, like he was just realizing this.

"Percy. I told you not to come looking for me." Nico's voice was filled with impatience. "I don't want to go back to that stupid camp!"

"Nico. The camp is the only place that's safe for you." I raised my hands. "What happened to  
Bianca was—"

"Don't speak her name! It...just don't say it!"

"Wait a minute," Thalia pointed at Geryon. "How do you know our names?"

The three-bodied man winked. "I make it my business to keep informed, darlin'. Everybody pops into the ranch from time to time. Everyone needs something from ole Geryon."

Nico drew his sword and pointed it at us. "You better not be here to kill me."

"Mr. di Angelo. Put away that ugly sword of yours before I make Eurytion do it."

Eurytion sighed, but he hefted his spiked club. At his feet, Orthus growled.

Nico hesitated. He looked thinner and paler than he had in the Iris-messages. I wondered if he'd eaten in the last week. His black clothes were dusty from traveling in the Labyrinth, and his dark eyes were full of pain. He was too young to look so...pained. I still remembered him as the cheerful little kid who played with Mythomagic cards.

Reluctantly, he sheathed his sword. "If you come near me, Percy, I'll summon help. You don't want to meet my helpers, I promise."

"I believe you," I said.

Looks like Minos corrupted him, I thought.

Geryon patted Nico's shoulder. "There, we've all made nice. Now come along, folks. I want to give you a tour of the ranch."

* * *

Geryon had a trolley thing—like one of those kiddie trains that take you around zoos. It was painted black and white in a cowhide pattern. The driver's car had a set of longhorns stuck to the hood, and the horn sounded like a cowbell. I figured maybe this was how he tortured people. He embarrassed them to death riding around in the moo-mobile.

Nico sat in the very back, probably so he could keep an eye on us.

Eurytion crawled in next to him with his spiked club and pulled his cowboy hat over his eyes like he was going to take a nap. Orthus jumped in the front seat next to Geryon and began barking happily in two-part harmony.

Thalia, Tyson, Grover, and I took the middle two cars.

"We have a huge operation!" Geryon boasted as the moo-mobile lurched forward. "Horses and cattle mostly, but all sorts of exotic varieties, too."

We came over a hill, and Thalia gasped. "Those things? I thought they were extinct!"

At the bottom of the hill was a fenced-in pasture with a dozen of the weirdest animals I'd ever seen. Each had the front half of a horse and the back half of a rooster. Their rear feet were huge yellow claws. They had feathery tails and red wings. As I watched, two of them got in a fight over a pile of seed. They reared up on their wings at each other until the smaller one galloped away, its rear bird legs putting a little hop in its step.

"How the Hades do you know this stuff?" I asked her.

"I've told you a million times already."

I just groaned at how 'smart' she was becoming.

"Rooster ponies," Tyson said in amazement. "Do they lay eggs?"

"Once a year!" Geryon grinned in the rearview mirror. "Very much in demand for omelettes!"

Thalia said, "But aren't they an endangered species!"

Geryon waved his hand. "Gold is gold, darling. And you haven't tasted the omelettes."

"That's not right," Grover murmured, but Geryon just kept narrating the tour.

"Now, over here," he said, "we have our fire-breathing horses, which you may have seen on your way in. They're bred for war, naturally."

"What war?" I asked.

Geryon grinned slyly. "Oh, whichever one comes along. And over yonder, of course, are our prize red cows."

Sure enough, hundreds of the cherry-colored cattle were grazing the side of the hill.

"So many," Grover said.

"Yes, well, Apollo is too busy to see them," Geryon explained, "so he subcontracts to us. We breed them vigorously because there's such a demand."

"For what?" I asked.

Geryon raised an eyebrow. "Meat, of course! Armies have to eat."

"You kill the sacred cows of the sun god for hamburger meat?" Grover said. "That's the against ancient laws!"

"Oh, don't get so worked up, satyr. They're just animals."

"Just animals!"

"Yes, and if Apollo cared, I'm sure he would tell us."

"If he knew," I muttered.

Nico sat forward. "I don't care about any of this, Geryon. We had business to discuss, and this wasn't it!"

"All in good time, Mr. di Angelo. Look over here; some of my exotic game."

The next field was ringed in barbed wire. The whole area was crawling with giant scorpions.

"Triple G Ranch," I said, suddenly remembering. "Your mark was on the crates at camp. Quintus got his scorpions from you."

"Quintus…" Geryon mused. "Short gray hair, muscular, swordsman?"

"Yeah."

"Never heard of him," Geryon said. "Now, over here are my prize stables! You must see them."

I didn't need to see them, because as soon as we got within three hundred yards I started to smell them. Near the banks of a green river was a horse corral the size of a football field. Stables lined one side of it. About a hundred horses were milling around in the muck—and when I say muck, I mean horse poop. It was the most disgusting thing I'd ever seen, like a poop blizzard had come through and dumped four feet of the stuff overnight. The horses were really gross from wading through it, and the stables were just as bad. It reeked like you would not believe—worse than the garbage boats on the East River.

Even Nico gagged. "What is that?"

"My stables!" Geryon said. "Well, actually they belong to Aegas, but we watch over them for a small monthly fee. Aren't they lovely?"

"They're disgusting!" Thalia said.

"Lots of poop," Tyson observed.

"How can you keep animals like that?" Grover cried.

"Y'all getting' on my nerves," Geryon said. "These are flesh-eating horses, see? They like these conditions."

"Plus, you're too cheap to have them cleaned," Eurytion mumbled from under his hat.

"Quiet!" Geryon snapped. "All right, perhaps the stables are a bit challenging to clean. Perhaps they do make me nauseous when the wind blows the wrong way. But so what? My clients still pay me well."

"What clients?" I demanded.

"Oh, you'd be surprised how many people will pay for a flesh-eating horse. They make great garbage disposals. Wonderful way to terrify your enemies. Great at birthday parties! We rent them out all the time."

"You're a monster," Thalia decided. That's saying something because Thalia doesn't get disgusted this easily.

Geryon stopped the moo-mobile and turned to look at her. "What gave it away? Was it the three bodies?"

"You have to let these animals go," Grover said. "It's not right!"

"And the clients you keep talking about," Thalia said. "You work for Kronos, don't you? You're supplying his army with horses, food, whatever they need."

Geryon shrugged, which was very weird since he had three sets of shoulders. It looked like he was doing the wave all by himself. "I work for anyone with gold, young lady. I'm a businessman. And I sell them anything I have to offer."

He climbed out of the moo-mobile and strolled toward the stables as if enjoying the fresh air. It would've been a nice view, with the river and the trees and hills and all, except for the quagmire of horse muck.

Nico got out of the back car and stormed over to Geryon. The cowherd Eurytion wasn't as sleepy as he looked. He hefted his club and walked after Nico.

"I came here for business, Geryon," Nico said. "And you haven't answered me."

"Mmm." Geryon examined a cactus. His left arm reached over and scratched his middle-chest. "Yes, you'll get a deal, all right."

"My ghost told me you could help. He said you could guide us to the soul we need."

"Wait a second," I said. "I thought I was the soul you wanted."

Nico looked at me like I was crazy. "You? Why would I want you? Bianca's soul is worth a thousand of yours! Now, can you help me, Geryon, or not?"

"Oh, I imagine I could," the rancher said. "Your ghost friend, by the way, where is he?"

Nico looked uneasy. "He can't form in broad daylight. It's hard for him. But he's around somewhere."

Geryon smiled. "I'm sure. Minos likes to disappear when things get…difficult."

"Minos?" I remembered the man I'd seen in my dreams, with the golden crown, the pointed beard, and the cruel eyes. "You mean that evil king? That's the ghost who's been giving you advice?"

"It's none of your business, Percy!" Nico turned back to Geryon. "And what do you mean about things getting difficult?"

The three-bodied man sighed. "Well, you see, Nico—can I call you Nico?"

"No."

"You see, Nico, Luke Castellan is offering very good money for half-bloods. Especially powerful half-bloods. And I'm sure when he learns your little secret, who you really are, he'll pay very, very well indeed."

Nico drew his sword, but Eurytion knocked it out of his hand. Before I could get up, Orthus pounced on my chest and growled, his faces an inch away from mine.

"I would stay in the car, all of you," Geryon warned. "Or Orthus will tear Mr. Jackson's throat out. Now, Eurytion, if you would be so kind, secure Nico."

The cowherd spit into the grass. "Do I have to?"

"Yes, you fool!"

Eurytion looked bored, but he wrapped one huge arm around Nico and lifted him up like a wrestler.

"Pick up the sword, too," Geryon said with distaste. "There's nothing I hate worse than Stygian Iron."

Eurytion picked up the sword, careful not to touch the blade.

"Now," Geryon said cheerfully, "we've had the tour. Let's go back to the lodge, have some lunch, and send an Iris-message to our friends in the Titan army."

"You bastard!" Thalia cried.

Geryon smiled at her. "Don't worry, my dear. Once I've delivered Mr. di Angelo, you and your party can go. I don't interfere with quests. Besides, I've been paid well to give you safe passage, which does not, I'm afraid, include Mr. di Angelo."

"Paid by whom?" Thalia said. "What do you mean?"

"Never you mind, darlin'. Let's be off, shall we?"

"Wait!" I said, and Orthus growled. I stayed perfectly still so he wouldn't tear my throat out. "Geryon, you said you're a businessman. Make me a deal."

Geryon narrowed his eyes. "What sort of deal? Do you have gold?"

"I've got something better. Barter."

"But Mr. Jackson, you've got nothing."

"You could have him clean the stables," Eurytion suggested innocently.

"I'll do it!" I said. "If I fail, you get all of us. Trade us all to Luke for gold."

"Assuming the horses don't eat you," Geryon observed.

"Either way, you get my friends," I said. "But if I succeed, you've got to let all of us go, including Nico."

"No!" Nico screamed. "Don't do me any favors, Percy. I don't want your help! I don't want to go back to camp!"

Geryon chuckled. "Percy Jackson, those stables haven't been cleaned in a thousand years…though it's true I might be able to sell more stable space if all that poop was cleared away."

"So what have you got to lose?"

The rancher hesitated. "All right, I'll accept your offer, but you have to get it done by sunset. If you fail, your friends get sold, and I get rich."

"Deal."

He nodded. "I'm going to take your friends with me, back to the lodge. We'll wait for you there."

Eurytion gave me a funny look. It might have been sympathy. He whistled, and the dog jumped off me and onto Thalia's lap. She yelped and then glared at the dog. I knew Tyson and Grover would never try anything as long as Thalia was hostage.

I got out of the car and locked eyes with her.

"I hope you know what you're doing," she said quietly.

"I hope so, too."

Geryon got behind the driver's wheel. Eurytion hauled Nico into the backseat.

"Sunset," Geryon reminded me. "No later."

He laughed at me once more, sounded his cowbell horn, and the moo-mobile rumbled off down the trail.

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear. It would be awesome if you guys could tell what mistakes there are so that I can fix them to make the story clearer. Thanks.**

**Hopefully you enjoyed this. Please review or private message me for suggestions and opinions.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**Check out my other stories. I recommend not viewing the 'Flash to the Past: Reading the Titan's Curse' one because it is discontinued.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**A HEADS UP: There will be a Zoe story that I'm going to post. I'm just thinking of some ideas before I put up a vote for you to choose which story you want.**

**Read the "Titan's Curse: Perlia Style" story first to get a background of what is happening.**


	10. Cleaning the Stables and a Barbecue

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians' quotes and plot line. I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians characters. I am not Rick Riordan.**

**This is my fourth FanFic although my first one got reported for MST and the second one I put up for adoption. The third one is complete.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**Thanks for reading my story and if you have any comments or suggestions, review or private message me. If you do not like Perlia do not flame by sending me messages saying you don't like Perlia and random stuff like that.**

**Just in case you were wondering, the length of an update is according to the length of the chapters in the real book.**

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear. It would be awesome if you guys could tell what mistakes there are so that I can fix them to make the story clearer. Thanks.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**A HEADS UP: There will be a Zoe story that I'm going to post. I'm just thinking of some ideas before I put up a vote for you to choose which story you want.**

Chapter 10: Cleaning the Stables and a Barbecue

**Percy's POV**

I lost hope when I saw the horses' teeth.

As I got closer to the fence I held my shirt over my nose to block the smell. One stallion waded through the muck and whinnied angrily at me. He bared his teeth, which were pointed like a bear's.

I tried to talk to him in my mind. I can do that with most horses.

_Hi_, I told him. _I'm going to clean your stables. Won't that be great?_

_Yes!_ The horse said. _Come inside! Eat you! Tasty half-blood!_

_But I'm Poseidon's son_, I protested. _He created horses._

Usually this gets me VIP treatment in the equestrian world, but not this time.

_Yes!_ The horse agreed enthusiastically. _Poseidon can come in, too! We will eat you both! Seafood!_

_Seafood!_ The other horses chimed in as they waded through the field. Flies were buzzing everywhere, and the heat of the day didn't make the smell any better. I'd had some idea that I could do this challenge, because I remembered how Hercules had done it. He'd channeled a river into the stables and cleaned them out that way. I figured I could maybe control the water. But if I couldn't get close to the horses without getting eaten, that was  
a problem. And the river was downhill from the stables, a lot farther away than I'd realized, almost half a mile. The problem of the poop looked a lot bigger up close. I picked up a rusted shovel and experimentally scooped some away from the fence line. Great. Only four billion shovelfuls to go.

The sun was already sinking. I had a few hours at best. I decided the river was my only hope. At least it would be easier to think at the riverside than it was here. I set off downhill.

**Thalia's POV**

"Damn you, bastard!" I yelled as Eurytion tied me to Grover, Nico and Tyson.

"Now, let's have a barbecue so celebrate another wonderful sale!" Geryon cheered happily.

"Why don't you let me go so I can beat the crap out of you!" I retorted. I shot a bolt of lightning from my finger. It missed Geryon, and hit the grill, lighting the wood on fire.

"Why thanks, darlin'," he said. "Eurytion, gag the girl."

Eurytion obliged, but muttered under his breath about his stupid boss.

Now my insults were muffled and incomprehensible. I shouted obscenities at him, but it was no use. I had to breathe through my nose now instead of my mouth.

Eurytion sat at a picnic table, picking his fingernails with a knife. His two-headed dog paced back and forth, growling at us every once in awhile.

Geryon started decorating the deck for a party. Streamers and balloons were put up and decorated the railing.

After a couple of hours, I gave up trying to get out. We had to rely on Percy.

"Your hair is longer," was all Nico could say.

"Hm? Oh yah," I replied. "I ffrgf to do mah hrr cuz I doh care bou it."

"What?"

"What she means," Grover said, "is the she doesn't do her hair because she doesn't care about it. She leaves it."

"I my cuh my hrr soo," I said.

"She might cut her hair soon," Grover translated.

I have no idea how he could understand what the Hades I was talking about, but he understood. But it was true. My hair was growing long. I just never cut it because I don't really care about it. I stopped wearing mascara, but I could still pull off the evil looks that I'm so famous for. Also, my hair lost its spikiness. I need to fix that as soon as we get back.

To answer your (the reader's) question, yes I did grow my hair out long because I was too busy hanging out with Percy to do anything about it.

Anyway, the sun was going down rapidly and Geryon was flipping burgers on a huge barbecue cooker made from an oil drum.

"Ain't this a pretty sight? We are almost ready for the sellin' of them half-bloods," Geryon smiled. "We are just about to give you away. That's a nice thought, more money. Lost one from the horse stables, but whatever. Also-"

"Let them go!" Percy yelled. He sounded out of breath. "I cleaned the stables!"

Geryon turned. Allowing us to not look at his hideous face and shirts that spelled out KISS-THE-CHEF. "Did you, now? How'd you manage it?"

Though Percy seemed impatient, he told the story.

"When I got to the river, I found a girl waiting for me. She was wearing jeans and a green T-shirt and her long brown hair was braided with river grass. She had a stern look on her face and her arms were crossed," Percy said. "She was a naiad although the ones I've met only giggled and waved from the bottom of the canoe lake. Then I asked her if I could do what Hercules did, channel the river to clean the stables. She replied that she is part of freshwater territory and Poseidon is the saltwater lord. She said that Hercules was much better-looking than me, which is obviously true, but just because a person is good looking, doesn't mean they're a nice person."

I remembered Zoe and her dispute with Hercules.

"Anyway," he continued, "I told her that my friends are in danger, but she still refused. She looked like she was ready for a fight with her fists balled up. Then I realized that she had a quiver in her voice. Despite her angry attitude, she was afraid of me because I was a son of the sea god and a male who was much tougher than her. I figured that if you treat people nicely, they'll treat you back with respect. It's something I learned from my mom-"

"Get on with the story," Geryon interrupted.

Percy glared at him harshly before continuing. "I dropped out of the fight and the naiad gave in. She told me to scoop some dirt up." He scooped a little dirt from the ground just outside of the deck. "Texas dirt was dry and black and spotted with tiny clumps of shells. The naiad told me that they were petrified sea shells. Apparently, millions of years ago, even before the time of the gods, when only Gaea and Ouranos reigned, this land was under the water. It was part of the sea. After, she told me that as the son of Poseidon, water is within me; it is my life source. The sun was touching the hills when I got back to the stables. I guess somebody came by and fed the horses-"

"That'd be me," Eurytion said.

I must've been tired to not notice Eurytion get up and go to the horse stables.

"Okay. Then, when one of the horses saw me, it kept saying, 'Seafood! Come in! We're still hungry!' I didn't know what the shells were meant for at the time, so in frustration I threw them at the poop. Where I had thrown the shell, sprouted some water. It was saltwater. So after I cleaned up all of the poop, I couldn't stop it. The control of the water was almost out of my reach. I knew if I didn't do something soon, the saltwater would run into the river and poison the fish and plants. After a couple more tries, I finally shut the geysers down and got the horses to not eat people, only the food the handles give them. After that... I ran here," Percy finished.

Geryon nodded appreciatively. "Very ingenious. It would've been better if you'd poisoned the pesky naiad, but no matter."

"Let my friends go," Percy said. "We had a deal."

"Ah, I've been thinking about that. The problem is, if I let them go, I don't get paid."

**Percy's POV**

"You promised!"

Geryon made a _tsk_-_tsk_noise. "But did you make me swear on the River Styx? No you didn't. So it's not binding. When you're conducting business, sonny, you should always get a binding oath."

I drew my sword. Orthus growled. One head leaned down next to Grover's ear and bared its fangs.

"Eurytion," Geryon said, "the boy is starting to annoy me. Kill him."

Eurytion studied me. I didn't like my odds against him and that huge club.

"Kill him yourself," Eurytion said.

Geryon raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Eurytion grumbled. "You keep sending me out to do your dirty work. You pick fights for no good reason, and I'm getting tired of dying for you. You want to fight the kid, do it yourself."

It was the most un-Ares-like thing I'd ever heard a child of Ares say.

Geryon threw down his spatula. "You dare defy me? I should fire you right now!"

"And who'd take care of your cattle? Orthus, hell."

The dog immediately stopped growling at Grover and came to sit by the cowherd's feet.

"Fine!" Geryon snarled. "I'll deal with you later, after the boy is dead!"

He picked up two carving knives and threw them at me. I deflected one with my sword. The other impaled itself in the picnic table an inch from Eurytion's hand.

I went on the attack. Geryon parried my first strike with a pair of red-hot tongs and lunged at my face with a barbecue fork. I got inside his next thrust and stabbed him right through the middle chest.

"Aghhh!" He crumpled to his knees. I waited for him to disintegrate, the way monsters usually do. But instead he just grimaced and started to stand up. The wound in his chef's apron started to heal.

"Nice try, sonny," he said. "Thing is, I have three hearts. The perfect backup system."

He tipped over the barbecue, and coals spilled everywhere. One landed next to Thalia's face, and she let out a muffled scream. Tyson strained against his bonds, but even his strength wasn't enough to break them. I had to end this fight before my friends got hurt.

I jabbed Geryon in the left chest, but he only laughed. I stuck him in the right stomach. No good. I might as well have been sticking a sword in a teddy bear for all the reaction he showed.

Three hearts. The perfect backup system. Stabbing one at a time was no good…

I ran into the house.

"Coward!" he cried. "Come back and die right!"

The living room walls were decorated with a bunch of gruesome hunting trophies—stuffed deer and dragon heads, a gun case, a sword display, and a bow with a quiver.

Geryon threw his barbecue fork, and it thudded into the wall right next to my head. He drew two swords from the wall display. "Your head's gonna go right there, Jackson! Next to the grizzly bear!"

I had a crazy idea. I dropped Riptide and grabbed the bow off the wall.

I was the worst archery shot in the world. I couldn't hit the targets at camp, much less a bull's eye. But I had no choice. I couldn't win this fight with a sword. I prayed to Artemis and Apollo, the twin archers, hoping they might take pity on me for once. _Please, guys. Just one shot. Please._

I notched an arrow.

Geryon laughed. "You fool! One arrow is no better than one sword."

He raised his swords and charged. I dove sideways. Before he could turn, I shot my arrow into the side of his right chest. I heard _THUMP, THUMP, THUMP_, as the arrow passed clean through each of his chests and flew out his left side, embedding itself in the forehead of the grizzly bear trophy.

Geryon dropped his swords. He turned and stared at me. "You can't shoot. They told me you couldn't…"

His face turned a sickly shade of green. He collapsed to his knees and began crumbling into sand, until all that was left were three cooking aprons and an oversized pair of cowboy boots.

**Thalia's POV**

Percy came out with an oversized pair of cowboy boots and untied us. The cowherd didn't stop Percy. As Percy stoked up the barbecue to sacrifice an offering for Artemis and Apollo, I went up to the giant boots.

I charged up and blasted them to bits with lightning. I smiled. It's nice to get rid of your anger in such a way.

The sky thundered in the distance, and I figured maybe the burgers smelled okay.

"Yay for Percy!" Tyson said.

"Can we tie up this cowherd now?" Nico asked.

"Yeah!" Grover agreed. "And that dog almost killed me!"

Percy looked at Eurytion, who was still sitting relaxed at the picnic table. Orthus had both his heads on the cowherd's knees.

"How long will it take Geryon to re-form?" Percy asked Eurytion.

He shrugged. "Hundred years? He's not one of those fast re-formers, thank the gods. You've done me a favor."

"You said you'd died for him before," Percy remembered. "How?"

"I've worked for that creep for thousands of years. Started as a regular half-blood, but I chose immortality when my dad offered it. Worst mistake I ever made. Now I'm stuck here at this ranch. I can't leave. I can't quit. I just tend the cows and fight Geryon's fights. We're kinda tied together."

"Maybe you can change things," Percy said.

Eurytion narrowed his eyes. "How?"

"Be nice to the animals. Take care of them. Stop selling them for food. And stop dealing with the Titans."

Eurytion thought about that. "That'd be alright."

"Get the animals on your side, and they'll help you. Once Geryon gets back, maybe he'll be working for you this time."

Eurytion grinned. "Now, _that_I could live with."

"You won't try to stop us leaving?"

"Shoot, no."

I rubbed my bruised wrists. I was looking at Percy. Always trying to change people, I thought.

"What about the Titans?" Percy asked. "Did Iris-message them about Nico yet?"

"Nope. Geryon was waiting until after the barbecue. They don't know about him."

Percy looked at Nico quizzically. After a couple of seconds, I realized he was thinking about what to do with Nico.

"You could stay here until we're done with our quest," I told him. "It would be safe."

"_Safe?_" Nico said. "I can stay safe in the Underworld, thank you very much. Besides, why do you care?"

"Nico," I said, "that wasn't Percy's fault. And Geryon wasn't lying about Kronos wanting to capture you. If he knew who you were, he'd do anything to get you on his side."

"I'm not on anyone's side. And I'm not afraid."

"You should be," I said. "Your sister wouldn't want-"

"If you cared for my sister, you'd help me bring her back!"

"A soul for a soul?" Percy said.

"Yes!"

"But if you didn't want my soul-"

"I'm not explaining anything to you!" He blinked tears out of his eyes. "And I _will_bring her back."

"Bianca wouldn't want to be brought back," Percy said. "Not like that."

"You didn't know her!" Nico shouted. "How do you know what she'd want?"

I could tell there was a little doubt in his voice. Nico wasn't fully brainwashed yet.

Percy stared at the flames in the barbecue pit. "Let's ask Bianca."

The sky seemed to grow darker all of a sudden.

"I've tried," Nico said miserably. "She won't answer."

"Try again. I've got a feeling she'll answer with me here."

Everyone stared at him incredulously.

Nico asked, "Why would she?"

"Because she's been sending me Iris-messages," Percy said, sounding sure of it. "She's been trying to warn me what you're up to, so I can protect you."

Nico shook his head. "That's impossible."

"One way to find out. You said you're not afraid." Percy turned to Eurytion. "We're going to need a pit, like a grave. And food and drinks."

My mind flashed back to the pile of muck down in the Labyrinth. "Percy," I warned. "I don't think this is a good-"

"Alright," Nico submitted. "I'll try."

Eurytion scratched his beard. "There's a hole dug out back for a septic tank. We could use that. Cyclops boy, fetch my ice chest from the kitchen. I hope the dead like root beer."

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear. It would be awesome if you guys could tell what mistakes there are so that I can fix them to make the story clearer. Thanks.**

**Hopefully you enjoyed this. Please review or private message me for suggestions and opinions.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**Check out my other stories. I recommend not viewing the 'Flash to the Past: Reading the Titan's Curse' one because it is discontinued.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**A HEADS UP: There will be a Zoe story that I'm going to post. I'm just thinking of some ideas before I put up a vote for you to choose which story you want.**

**Read the "Titan's Curse: Perlia Style" story first to get a background of what is happening.**


	11. We Wish We Had Annabeth

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians' quotes and plot line. I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians characters. I am not Rick Riordan.**

**This is my fourth FanFic although my first one got reported for MST and the second one I put up for adoption. The third one is complete.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**Thanks for reading my story and if you have any comments or suggestions, review or private message me. If you do not like Perlia do not flame by sending me messages saying you don't like Perlia and random stuff like that.**

**Just in case you were wondering, the length of an update is according to the length of the chapters in the real book.**

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear. It would be awesome if you guys could tell what mistakes there are so that I can fix them to make the story clearer. Thanks.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**A HEADS UP: Sorry about taking so long to update. It will be more space out from now on because of the tons of work I have to do. Peace.**

Chapter 11: We Wish Annabeth Was Here

**Percy's POV**

We did our summons after dark, at a twenty-foot-long pit in front of the septic tank. The tank was bright yellow, with a smiley face and red words painted on the side: HAPPY FLUSH DISPOSAL CO. It didn't quite go with the mood of summoning the dead.

The moon was full. Silver clouds drifted across the sky.

"Minos should be here by now," Nico said, frowning. "It's full dark."

"Maybe he got lost," I said hopefully.

Nico ignored me and poured root beer. He tossed barbecue into the pit, then began chanting in Ancient Greek. Immediately the bugs in the woods stopped chirping. In my pocket, the Stygian ice dog whistle started to grow colder, freezing against the side of my leg.

"Make him stop," Tyson whispered to me.

Part of me agreed. This was unnatural. The night air felt cold and menacing. But before I could say anything, the first spirits appeared. Sulfurous mist seeped out of the ground. Shadows thickened into human forms. One blue shade drifted to the edge of the pit and knelt to drink.

"Stop him!" Nico said, momentarily breaking his chant. "Only Bianca may drink!"

I drew Riptide. The ghosts retreated with a collective hiss at the sight of my celestial bronze blade. But it was too late to stop the first spirit. He had already solidified into the shape of a bearded man in white robes. A circlet of gold wreathed his head, and even in death, his eyes were alive with malice.

"Minos!" Nico said. "What are you doing?"

"My apologies, master," the ghost said, though he didn't sound very sorry. "The sacrifice smelled so good, I couldn't resist." He examined his own hands and smiled. "It is good to see myself again. Almost in solid form-"

"You are disrupting the ritual!" Nico protested. "Get-"

The spirits of the dead began shimmering dangerously bright, and Nico had to take up the chant again to keep them at bay.

"Yes, quite right, master," Minos said with amusement. "You keep chanting. I've only come to protect you from these _liars_who would deceive you."

He turned to me as if I were some kind of cockroach. "Percy Jackson…my, my. The sons of Poseidon haven't improved over the centuries, have they?"

I wanted to punch him, but I figured my fist would go right through his face. "We're looking for Bianca di Angelo," I said. "Go back to Hades."

The ghost chuckled. "I understand you once killed my Minotaur with your bare hands. But worse things await you in the maze. Do you really believe Daedalus will help you?"

The other spirits stirred in agitation. Thalia opened her mace canister and tapped her bracelet. The spirits hissed at Medusa's sight. Grover got so nervous, he clung to Tyson's shoulder.

"Daedalus cares nothing for you, half-bloods," Minos warned. "You can't trust him. He is old beyond counting, and crafty. He is bitter from the guilt of murder and is cursed by the gods."

"The guilt of murder?" I asked. "Who did he kill?"

"Do not change the subject!" the ghost growled. "You are hindering Nico. You try to persuade him to give up on his goal. _I_would make him a lord!"

"I'm not trying to _hinder_him. I just...I told her that-"

"Enough," Nico commanded. "Minos, go away!"

The ghost sneered. "Master, these are your enemies. You must not listen to them! Let me protect you. I will turn their minds to madness, as I did the others."

"The others?" Thalia snarled. "You mean Chris Rodriguez? That was _you_?"

"The maze is my property," the ghost said, "not Daedalus's! Those who intrude deserve madness."

"Be gone, Minos!" Nico demanded. "I want to see my sister!"

The ghost bit back his rage. "As you wish, master. But I warn you. You cannot trust these heroes."

With that, he faded into mist.

Other spirits rushed forward, but Thalia and I kept them back.

"Bianca, appear!" Nico intoned. He started chanting faster, and the spirits shifted restlessly.

"Any time now," Grover muttered.

Then a silvery light flickered in the trees- a spirit that seemed brighter and stronger than the others. It came closer, and something told me to let it pass. It knelt to drink at the pit. When it arose, it was the ghostly form of Bianca di Angelo.

Nico's chanting faltered. I lowered my sword. The other spirits started to crowd forward, but Bianca raised her arms and they retreated into the woods.

"Hello, Percy, Thalia," she said.

She looked the same as she had in life: a green cap set sideways on her thick black hair, dark eyes and olive skin like her brother. She wore jeans and a silvery jacket, the outfit of a Hunter of Artemis. A bow was slung over her shoulder. She smiled faintly, and her whole form flickered.

"Bianca," I said. My voice was thick. I'd felt guilty about her death for a long time, but seeing her in front of me was five times as bad, like her death was fresh and new. I remembered searching through the wreckage of the giant bronze warrior she'd sacrificed her life to defeat, and not finding any sign of her.

"I'm so sorry," I said.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Percy. I made my own choice. I don't regret it."

"Bianca!" Nico stumbled forward like he was just coming out of a daze.

She turned toward her brother. Her expression was sad, as if she'd been dreading this moment. "Hello, Nico. You've gotten so tall."

"Why didn't you answer me sooner?" he cried. "I've been trying for months!"

"I was hoping you would give up."

"Give up?" He sounded heartbroken. "How can you say that? I'm trying to save you!"

"You can't, Nico. Don't do this. Percy is right."

"But...but-"

Bianca stretched out a hand as if to touch her brother's face, but she was made of mist. Her hand evaporated as it got close to living skin. She seemed to understand the look of doubt on his face, of how I could be right instead of him.

"You must listen to me," she said. "Holding a grudge is dangerous for a child of Hades. It is our fatal flaw. You have to forgive. You have to promise me this."

Nico stayed silent, his dark eyes looked up at his sister, longing for the comfort that he used to gain from her.

"Percy has been worried about you, Nico. He can help. I let him see what you were up to, hoping he would find you."

"So it _was_you," I said. "You sent those Iris-messages."

Bianca nodded.

Nico's expression hardened. "Why are you helping him, and not me? It's not fair!"

"You are close to the truth now," Bianca told him. "It's not Percy you're mad at, Nico. It's me."

"No."

"You're mad because I left you to become a Hunter of Artemis. You're mad because I died and left you alone. I'm sorry for that, Nico. I truly am. But you must overcome the anger. And stop trying to blame Percy for my choices. It will be your doom."

"She's right," Thalia broke in. "If Kronos or Luke finds you, Nico, he'll twist your mind against the gods, against your own father."

"I don't care about Kronos," Nico said. "It just want my sister back."

"You can't have that, Nico," Bianca told him gently. "Listen to Percy and Thalia. They'll become your new family. They'll take care of you."

Nico turned to us. I hoped Thalia had a sympathetic look in her eyes, because I did. Nico turned back to his sister. Half-heartedly he said, "I'm- I'm the son of Hades! I...I _can_."

"Don't try," Bianca said. "If you love me, let me go..."

Her voice trailed off. Spirits had started to gather around us again, and they seemed agitated. Their shadows shifted. Their voices whispered, _Danger!_

"Tartarus stirs," Bianca said. "Your power draws the attention of Kronos. The dead must return to the Underworld. It is not safe for us to remain."

"Wait," Nico said. "Please—"

"Good-bye, Nico," Bianca said. "I love you. Remember what I said." Her form shivered and the ghosts disappeared, leaving us alone with a pit, a _Happy Flush_septic tank, and a cold full moon.

* * *

None of us were anxious to travel that night, so we decided to wait until morning. Grover and I crashed on the leather couches in Geryon's living room, which was a lot more comfortable than a bedroll in the maze; it didn't make my nightmares any better.

I dreamed I was with Luke, walking through the dark palace on top of Mount Tam. It was a real building now—not some half-finished illusion like I'd seen last winter. Green fires burned in braziers along the walls. The floor was polished black marble. A cold wind blew down the hallway, and above us through the open ceiling, the sky swirled with gray storm clouds.

Luke was dressed for battle. He wore camouflage pants, a white T-shirt, and a bronze breastplate, but his sword, Backbiter, wasn't at his side—only and empty scabbard. We walked into a large courtyard where dozens of warriors and _dracaenae_were preparing for war. When they saw him, the demigods rose to attention. They beat their swords against their shields.

"Issss it time, my lord?" a _dracaena_asked.

"Soon," Luke promised. "Continue your work."

"My lord," a voice said behind him. Kelli the _empousa_was smiling at him. She wore a blue dress tonight, and looked wickedly beautiful. Her eyes flickered—sometimes dark brown, sometimes pure red. Her hair was braided down her back and seemed to catch the light of the torches, as if it were anxious to turn back into pure flame.

My heart was pounding. I waited for Kelli to see me, to chase me out of the dream as she did before, but this time she didn't seem to notice me.

"You have a visitor," she told Luke. She stepped aside, and even Luke seemed stunned by what he saw.

The monster Kampê towered above him. Her snakes hissed around her legs. Animal heads growled at her waist. Her swords were drawn, shimmering with poison, and with her bat wings extended, she took up the entire corridor.

"You." Luke's voice sounded a little shaky. "I told you to stay on Alcatraz."

Kampê's eyelids blinked sideways like a reptile's. she spoke in that weird rumbling language, but this time I understood, somewhere in the back of my mind: _I come to serve. Give me revenge._

"You're a jailor," Luke said. "Your job—"

_I will have them dead. No one escapes me._

Luke hesitated. A line of sweat trickled down the side of his face. "Very well," he said. "You will go with us. You may carry Ariadne's string. It is a position of great honor."

Kampê hissed at the stars. She sheathed her swords and turned, pounding down the hallway on her enormous dragon legs.

"We should have left that one in Tartarus," Luke mumbled. "She is too chaotic. Too powerful."

Kelli laughed softly. "You should not fear power, Luke. Use it!"

"The sooner we leave, the better," Luke said. "I want this over with."

"Aww," Kelli sympathized, running a finger down his arm. "You find it unpleasant to destroy your old camp?"

"I didn't say that."

"You're not having second thoughts about your own, ah, special part?"

Luke's face turned stony. "I know my duty."

"That is good," the demon said. "Is our strike force sufficient, do you think? Or will I need to call Mother Hecate for help?"

"We have more than enough," Luke said grimly. "The deal is almost complete. All I need now is to negotiate safe passage through the arena."

"Mmm," Kelli said. "That should be interesting. I would hate to see your handsome head on a spike if you fail."

"I will not fail. And you, demon, don't you have other matters to attend to?"

"Oh, yes." Kelli smiled. "I am bringing despair to your eavesdropping enemies. I am doing that right now."

She turned her eyes directly on me, exposed her talons, and ripped through my dream.

Suddenly I was in a different place.

I stood at the top of a stone tower, overlooking rocky cliffs and the ocean below. The old man Daedalus was hunched over a worktable, wrestling with some kind of navigational instrument, like a huge compass. He looked years older than when I'd last seen him. He was stooped and his hands were gnarled. He cursed in Ancient Greek and squinted as if he couldn't see his work, even though it was a sunny day.

"Uncle!" a voice called.

A smiling boy about Nico's age came bounding up the steps, carrying a wooden box.

"Hello, Perdix," the old man said, though his tone sounded cold. "Done with your projects already?"

"Yes, Uncle. They were easy!"

Daedalus scowled. "Easy? The problem of moving water uphill without a pump was easy?"

"Oh, yes! Look!"

The boy dumped his box and rummaged through the junk. He came up with a strip of papyrus and showed the old inventor some diagrams and notes. They didn't make any sense to me, but Daedalus nodded grudgingly.

"I see. Not bad."

"The king loved it!" Perdix said. "He said I might be even smarter than you!"

"Did he now?"

"But I don't believe that. I'm so glad Mother sent me to study with you! I want to know everything you do."

"Yes," Daedalus muttered. "So when I die, you can take my place, eh?"

The boys' eyes widened. "Oh no, Uncle! But I've been thinking…why does a man have to die, anyway?"

The inventor scowled. "It is the way of things, lad. Everything dies but the gods."

"But why?" the boy insisted. "If you could capture the animus, the soul in another form…well, you've told me about your automatons, Uncle. Bulls, eagles, dragons, horses of bronze. Why not a bronze form for a man?"

"No, my boy," Daedalus said sharply. "You are naïve. Such a thing is impossible."

"I don't think so," Perdix insisted. "With the use of a little magic—"

"Magic? Bah!"

"Yes, Uncle! Magic and mechanics together—with a little work, one could make a body that would look exactly human, only better. I've made some notes."

He handed the old man a thick scroll. Daedalus unfurled it. He read for a long time. His eyes narrowed. He glanced at the boy, then closed the scroll and cleared his throat. "It would never work, my boy. When you're older, you'll see."

"Can I fix that astrolabe, then, Uncle? Are your joints swelling up again?"

The old man's jaw clenched. "No. Thank you. Now why don't you run along?"

Perdix didn't seem to notice the old man's anger. He snatched a bronze beetle from his mound of stuff and ran to the edge of the tower. A low sill ringed the rim, coming just up to the boy's knees. The wind was strong.

_Move back_, I wanted to tell him. But my voice didn't work.

Perdix wound up the beetle and tossed it into the sky. It spread its wings and hummed away. Perdix laughed with delight.

"Smarter than me," Daedalus mumbled, too soft for the boy to hear.

"Is it true that your son died flying, Uncle? I heard you made him enormous wings, but they failed."

Daedalus's hands clenched. "Take my place," he muttered.

The wind whipped around the boy, tugging at his clothes, making his hair ripple.

"I would like to fly," Perdix said. "I'd make my own wings that wouldn't fail. Do you think I could?"

Maybe it was a dream within my dream, but suddenly I imagined the two-headed god Janus shimmering in the air next to Daedalus, smiling as he tossed a silver key from hand to hand. _Choose_, he whispered to the old inventor. _Choose._

Daedalus picked up another one of the boy's metal bags. The inventor's old eyes were red with anger.

"Perdix," he called. "Catch."

He tossed the bronze beetle toward the boy. Delighted, Perdix tried to catch it, but the throw was too long. The beetle sailed into the sky, and Perdix reached a little too far. The wind caught him.

Somehow he managed to grab the rim of the tower with his fingers as he fell. "Uncle!" he screamed. "Help me!"

The old man's face was a mask. He did not move from his spot.

"Go on, Perdix," Daedalus said softly. "May your own wings. Be quick about it."

"Uncle!" the boy cried as he lost his grip. He tumbled toward the sea.

There was a moment of deadly silence. The god Janus flickered and disappeared. Then thunder shook the sky. A woman's stern voice spoke from above: _You will pay the price for that, Daedalus._

I'd heard that voice before. It was Annabeth's mother: Athena.

Daedalus scowled up at the heavens. "I have always honored you, Mother. I have sacrificed everything to follow your way."

_Yet the boy had my blessing as well. And you have killed him. For that,_  
_you must pay._

"I have paid and paid!" Daedalus growled. "I've lost everything. I'll suffer in the Underworld, no doubt. But in the meantime…"

He picked up the boy's scroll, studied it for a moment, and slipped it into his sleeve.

_You do not understand_, Athena said coldly. _You will pay now and forever._

Suddenly Daedalus collapsed in agony. I felt what he felt. A searing pain closed around my neck like a molten-hot collar—cutting off my breath, making everything go black.

* * *

I woke in the dark, my hands clutching my throat.

"Percy?" Grover called from the other sofa. "Are you okay?"

I steadied my breathing. I wasn't sure how to answer. I'd just watched the guy we were looking for, Daedalus, murder his own nephew. How could I be okay? The television was going. Blue light flickered through the room.

"What—what time is it?" I croaked.

"Two in the morning," Grover said. "I couldn't sleep. I was watching the Nature Channel." He sniffled. "I miss Juniper."

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. "Yeah, well…you'll see her again soon."

Grover shook his head sadly. "Do you know what day it is, Percy? I just saw it on TV. It's June thirteenth. Seven days since we left camp."

"What?" I said. "That can't be right."

"Time is faster in the Labyrinth," Grover reminded me. "The first time you and Thalia went down there, you thought you were only gone a few minutes, right? But it was an hour."

"Oh," I said. "Right." Then it dawned on me what he was saying, and my throat felt searing hot again. "Your deadline with the Council of Cloven Elders."

Grover put the TV remote in his mouth and crunched off the end of it.

"I'm out of time," he said with a mouthful of plastic. "As soon as I go back, they'll take away my searcher's license. I'll never be allowed to go out again."

"We'll talk to them," I promised. "Make them give you more time."

Grover swallowed. "They'll never go for it. The world is dying, Percy. What you did today—saving the ranch animals from Geryon—that was amazing. I—I wish I could be more like you."

"Hey," I said. "Don't say that. You're just as much a hero—"

"No I'm not. I keep trying, but…" He sighed. "Percy, I can't go back to camp without finding Pan. I just can't. You understand that, don't you? I can't face Juniper if I fail. I can't even face myself."

His voice was so unhappy it hurt to hear. We'd been through a lot together, but I'd never heard him sound this down.

"We'll figure out something," I said. "You haven't failed. You're the champion goat boy, all right? Juniper knows that. So do I."

Grover closed his eyes. "Champion goat boy," he muttered dejectedly.

A long time after he dozed off, I was still awake, watching the blue light of the Nature Channel wash over the stuffed trophy heads on Geryon's walls.

**Thalia's POV**

The next morning we walked down to the cattle guard and said our goodbyes.

"Nico, you could come with us," Percy blurted. Like every time he looked at Nico, there was a sad look, as if Nico reminded Percy of someone.

Nico shook his head. I don't think any of us had slept well in the demon ranch house, but Nico looked worse than anybody else. I had a terrible dream of Janus and choice making, but Nico's eyes were red and his face chalky. He was wrapped in a black robe that must've belonged to Geryon, because it was three sizes too big, even for a grown man.

"I need time to think." His eyes wouldn't meet with anyone, but I could tell from his tone that he was still disappointed and angry. The fact that his sister had come out of the Underworld to tell him that she wanted him to give up didn't seem to sit well with him.

"Nico," I said. "Bianca just wants you to be okay."

I put a hand on his shoulder, but he pulled away and trudged up the road toward the ranch house. Maybe it was my imagination, but the morning mist seemed to cling to him as he walked.

"I'm worried about him," I told Percy. "If he starts talking to Minos' ghost again-"

"He'll be all right," Eurytion promised. The cowherd had cleaned up nicely. He was wearing new jeans and a clean Western shirt and he'd even trimmed his beard. He'd put on Geryon's boots. "The boy can stay here and gather his thoughts as long as he wants. He'll be safe, I promise."

"What about you?" Percy asked.

Eurytion scratched Orthus behind one chin, then the other. "Things are going to be run a little different on this ranch from now on. No more sacred cattle meat. I'm thinking about soybean patties. And I'm going to befriend those flesh-eating horses. Might just sign up for the next rodeo."

The idea made me shudder. "Well, good luck."

"Yep." Eurytion spit into the grass. "I reckon you'll be looking for Daedalus's workshop now?"

Percy's eyes lit up. "Can you help us?"

Eurytion studied the cattle guard, and I got the feeling the subject of Daedalus's workshop made him uncomfortable. "Don't know where it is. But Hephaestus probably would."

"That's what Hera said," I agreed. "But how do we find _Hephaestus_?"

Eurytion pulled something from under the collar of his shirt. It was a necklace—a smooth silver disk on a silver chain. The disk had a depression on the middle, like a thumbprint. He handed it to me.

"Hephaestus comes here from time to time," Eurytion said. "Studies the animals and such so he can make bronze automaton copies. Last time, I— uh—did him a favor. A little trick he wanted to play on my dad, Ares, and Aphrodite. He gave me that chain in gratitude. Said if I ever needed to find him, the disk would lead me to his forges. But only once."

"And you're giving it to me?" I asked.

Eurytion. "I don't need to see the forges, miss. Got enough to do here. Just press the button and you'll be on your way."

I pressed the button and the disk sprang to life. It grew eight metallic legs. I grinned.

"Spiders. I love spiders," I patted its head.

"I still wonder how you and Annabeth became friends," Percy said.

"Oh, shut up, Kelp for Brains," I said.

The spider scrambled down my arm and jumped off my elbow. It disappeared between the bars of the cattle guard.

"Hurry," Percy said. "That thing's not going to wait for us."

We quickly said our goodbyes to Eurytion, as Tyson pulled the cattle guard off the hole, and we dropped back into the maze.

* * *

I wish I could've put the mechanical spider on a leash. It scuttled along the tunnels so fast, most of time I couldn't even see it. If it hadn't been for Tyson's and Grover's excellent hearing, we never would've known which way it was going.

We ran down a marble tunnel, then dashed to the left and almost fell into an abyss. Tyson grabbed Percy and hauled him back before he could fall. The tunnel continued in front of us, but there was no floor for about a hundred feet, just gaping darkness and a series of iron rungs in the ceiling. The mechanical spider was about halfway across, swinging from bar to bar by shooting out metal web fiber.

"I'm not going on those." I blanched to the point where I looked like snow...probably.

"It's alright, Thals. Just don't look down and think about the best things in your life," Percy comforted me.

I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes. It was a good thing that I had good senses, otherwise I probably would've missed the monkey bars and plummeted to my death. I landed on the other side and turned around. Percy was grinning at me with that goofy smile of his. Tyson was giving Grover and piggyback ride. They made it across in three swings, which was a good thing since, just as he landed, the last iron bar ripped free under his weight.

We kept moving and passed a skeleton crumpled in the tunnel. It wore the remains of a dress shirt, slacks, and a tie. The spider didn't slow down. I slipped on a pile of wood scraps, but when I shined a light on them I realized they were pencils- hundreds of them, all broken in half.

The tunnel opened up onto a large room. A blazing light hit us. Once my eyes adjusted, the first thing I noticed were the skeletons. Dozens littered the floor around us. Some were old and bleached white. Others were more recent and a lot grosser. They didn't smell quite as bad as Geryon's stables, but almost.

Then I saw the monster. She stood on a glittery dais on the opposite side of the room. She had the body of a huge lion and the head of a woman. She would've been pretty, but her hair was tied back in a tight bun and she wore too much makeup, so she kind of reminded me of Aphrodite, except Aphrodite was beautiful. She had a blue ribbon badge pinned to her chest that took me a moment to read: THIS MONSTER HAS BEEN RATED EXEMPLARY!

Tyson whimpered. "Sphinx."

I was confused as to why Tyson seemed afraid of the Sphinx. I shrugged it off and started forward. I was stopped when the Sphinx roared, showing fangs in her otherwise human face. Bars came down on both tunnel exits, behind us and in front.

Immediately the monster's snarl turned into a brilliant smiled.

"Welcome, lucky contestants!" she announced. "Get ready to play...ANSWER THAT RIDDLE!"

Canned applause blasted from the ceiling, as if there were invisible loudspeakers. Spotlights swept across the room and reflected off the dais, throwing disco glitter over the skeletons on the floor.

"Fabulous prizes!" the Sphinx said. "Pass the test, and you get to advance! Fail, and I get to eat you! Who will be our contestant?"

"I'll go," I said.

"Why you?"

"You are just really slow at grabbing info."

"Yeah...but you're not Annabeth. In fact, quite the opposite."

"What's that supposed to mean? That I'm extremely dumb?"

"No," he hastily replied. "It's just that-"

"I'm not a genius?"

"Well, no, you're not. But I don't think that you'll know the answers to the riddle."

"Are you calling your girlfriend dumb?"

"You call me dumb all the time!"

"Who will be our contestant?" the Sphinx asked again, slightly irritated.

"It's a joke!"

"You know what? Forget it. You can go up all you want."

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?"

"Why do _you_have to be so stubborn?"

I shoved Percy away and went up to the contestant's podium. Percy was glaring at me, and both Tyson and Grover had to keep him from fighting me. _This happens all the time. I shouldn't have gotten mad at him..._

"Welcome, Thalia Grace!" the monster cried. I winced at the sound of my last name. "Are you ready for your test?"

"Yes," I said. "Ask your riddle."

"Twenty riddles, actually!" the Sphinx said gleefully.

My eyes widened. "Didn't they only have-"

"Oh, we've raised our standards from the old days! To pass, you must show proficiency in all twenty. Isn't that great?"

I glanced back at Percy. He was smiling smugly at me. It only fueled my anger.

A drumroll sounded from above. The Sphinx's eyes glittered with excitement. "What…is the capital of Bulgaria?"

I frowned. _That isn't a riddle. Plus, I don't know geography._I let my mind wander for a little bit. I wish Annabeth was here...or Athena. I wonder if Athena has ever had a child named Sophia. It means wisdom. Then, a feeling in my gut appeared and I randomly blurted out, "Sofia."

"Correct!" More canned applause. Percy's jaw dropped and he actually gave me a thumbs up. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction so I pointedly ignored him and smiled at Grover and Tyson.

The Sphinx smiled. "Please be sure to mark your answer clearly on your test sheet with a number 2 pencil."

"What?" I asked. Then a test booklet appeared on the podium in front of her, along with a sharpened pencil.

"Make sure you bubble each answer clearly and stay inside the circle," the Sphinx said. "If you have to erase, erase completely or the machine will not be able to read your answers."

"What machine?" I asked.

The Sphinx pointed with her paw. Over by the spotlight was a bronze box with a bunch of gears and levers and a big Greek letter Ȇta on the side, the mark of Hephaestus.

"Now," said the Sphinx, "next question. What is the square root of sixteen?"

"Four."

"Correct! Which U.S. president signed the Emancipation Proclamation?"

_That_, I was stumped on. I know, I know. I should know my own country's history, but my mom was too much of an alcoholic for me to actually learn. I put three fingers behind my back, and counted down on them.

Two...one...NOW!

Tyson charged at the Sphinx, being the brave Cyclops he is and tackled it. I opened my mace canister and tapped my bracelet. I sent lightning at the Sphinx. It screeched in pain as Tyson got up.

Percy stepped in front of me. "Go toward the exit! We'll cover you!"

"I can fight!"

"No!" he yelled. "The Sphinx is after _you!_Let us get it."

As if to prove his point, the Sphinx knocked Tyson aside and tried to charge past Percy. Grover poked her in the eye with somebody's leg bone. She screeched in pain. I sprinted at the exit. The Sphinx pounced right where I'd been standing, but came up with empty paws. She scanned the room until she saw me. Before she could move, Percy stabbed the Sphinx in its right leg. The Sphinx whirled around and swatted Percy away.

"Percy!" I yelled.

Tyson ripped the monster's grading machine out of the floor and threw it at the Sphinx's head, ruining her hair bun. It landed in pieces all around her.

"My grading machine!" she cried. "I can't be exemplary without my test scores!"

The bars lifted from the exits. I dashed for the far tunnel. I could only hope that they were hot on my heels...Percy, Grover and Tyson, I mean. Not the Sphinx.

The Sphinx started to follow, but Grover raised his reed pipes and began to play. Suddenly the pencils remembered they used to be parts of trees. The collected around the Sphinx's paws, grew roots and branches, and began wrapping around the monster's legs. The Sphinx ripped through them, but it brought us just enough time. Tyson pulled Grover into the tunnel, and the bars slammed shut behind us.

"Thalia!" Tyson yelled.

I was not paying attention hard enough and saw Percy unconscious, hanging over Tyson's shoulder.

"Keep moving!" I urged.

We ran through the dark tunnels, listening to the roar of the Sphinx behind us as she complained about all the tests she would have to grade by hand.

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear. It would be awesome if you guys could tell what mistakes there are so that I can fix them to make the story clearer. Thanks.**

**Hopefully you enjoyed this. Please review or private message me for suggestions and opinions.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**Check out my other stories. I recommend not viewing the 'Flash to the Past: Reading the Titan's Curse' one because it is discontinued.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**A HEADS UP: Sorry about taking so long to update. It will be more space out from now on because of the tons of work I have to do. Peace.**

**Read the "Titan's Curse: Perlia Style" story first to get a background of what is happening.**


	12. Mount St Helens

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians' quotes and plot line. I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians characters. I am not Rick Riordan.**

**This is my fourth FanFic although my first one got reported for MST and the second one I put up for adoption. The third one is complete.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**Thanks for reading my story and if you have any comments or suggestions, review or private message me. If you do not like Perlia do not flame by sending me messages saying you don't like Perlia and random stuff like that.**

**Just in case you were wondering, the length of an update is according to the length of the chapters in the real book.**

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear. It would be awesome if you guys could tell what mistakes there are so that I can fix them to make the story clearer. Thanks.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**A HEADS UP: Sorry about taking so long to update. It will be more spaced out from now on because of the tons of work I have to do. Peace.**

Chapter 12: Mount St. Helens

**Thalia's POV**

Grover fed Percy some nectar as we sprinted down the corridor of the Labyrinth.

The color returned to Percy's face which made me relieved. However, we'd lost the spider in the process. That was, until Tyson heard a faint pinging sound. We made a few turns, backtracked a few times, and eventually found the spider banging its tiny head on a metal door.

Just as we found the spider, Percy came to his senses.

"Whoa! What happened?" he exclaimed.

Tyson put Percy on the ground, feet first. "Yay! Percy is fine."

Percy was engulfed in a massive, bone-crushing hug.

Then, he turned to the door. I switched my gaze to the door as well. It was oval, with metal rivets around the edges and a wheel for a doorknob. It awkwardly reminded me of a submarine hatch. You don't see those kinds of doors on aircraft these days. Where the portal should've been was a big brass plaque, green with age, with a Greek Ȇta inscribed in the middle.

We all looked at each other.

"Ready to meet Hephaestus?" Grover said nervously.

"No," Percy admitted.

"Yes!" Tyson said gleefully, and he turned the wheel.

As soon as the door opened, the spider scuttle inside with Tyson right behind it. The rest of us followed, not quite as anxious.

The room was enormous. It looked like a mechanic's garage, with several hydraulic and pneumatic lifts. Some had cars on them, but others had stranger things: a bronze hippalektryon with its horse head off and a bunch of wires hanging out its rooster tail, a metal lion that seemed to be hooked up to a battery charger, and a Greek war chariot made entirely of flames.

Smaller projects cluttered a dozen worktables. Tools hung along the walls. Each had its own outline on a pegboard, but nothing seemed to be in the right place. The hammer was over the screwdriver place. The staple gun was where the hacksaw was supposed to go.

Under the nearest _hydraulic_lift, which was holding a '98 Toyota Corolla, a pair of legs stuck out- the lower half of a huge man in grubby grey pants and shoes even bigger than Tyson's. One leg was in a metal brace.

The spider scuttled straight under the car, and the sounds of banging stopped.

"Well, well," a deep voice boomed from under the Corolla. "What have we here?"

The mechanic pushed out on a back trolley and sat up. I'd seen Hephaestus once before, briefly on Olympus, so I thought I was prepared, but his appearance made me gulp.

I guess he'd cleaned up when I saw him on Olympus, or used magic to make his form seem a little less hideous. Here in his own workshop, he apparently didn't care how he looked. He work a jumpsuit smeared with oil and grime. _Hephaestus_, was embroidered over the chest pocket. His leg creaked and clicked in its metal brace as he stood, and his left shoulder was  
lower than his right, so he seemed to be leaning even when he was standing up straight. His head was misshapen and bulging. He wore a permanent scowl. His black beard smoked and hissed. Every once in awhile a small wildfire would erupt in his whiskers then die out. His hands were the size of catcher's mitts, but he handled the spider with amazing skill. He  
disassembled it in two seconds, then put it back together.

"There," he muttered to himself. "Much better."

The spider did a happy flip in his palm, shot a metallic web at the ceiling, and went swinging away.

Hephaestus glowered up at us. "I didn't make you, did I?"

"Uh," I said questionably, "no, sir?"

"Good," the god grumbled. "Shoddy workmanship."

He studied Percy and me. "Half-bloods," he grunted. "Could be automatons, of course, but probably not."

"We've met, sir," Percy told him.

"So have I," I added.

"Have we?" the god asked absently. I got the feeling he didn't care one way or the other. He was just trying to figure out how my jaw worked, whether it was a hinge or a lever or what. "Well then, if I didn't smash you to a pulp the first time we met, I supposed I won't have to do it now."

He looked at Grover and frowned. "Satyr." Then he looked at Tyson, and his eyes twinkled. "Well, a Cyclops. Good, good. What are you doing traveling with this lot?"

"Uh..." said Tyson, staring in wonder at the god.

"Yes, well said," Hephaestus agreed. "So, there'd better be a good reason you're disturbing me. The suspension on this Corolla is no small matter, you know."

"Sir," I said hesitantly, "we're looking for Daedalus. We thought-"

"_Daedalus?_" the god roared. "You want that old scoundrel? You dare to seek him out!"

His beard burst into flames and his black eyes glowed.

"Uh, yes, sir, please," I said.

"Humph. You're wasting your time." He frowned at something on his worktable and limped over to it. He picked up a lump of springs and metal plates and tinkered with them. In a few seconds he was holding a bronze and silver falcon. It spread its metal wings, blinked its obsidian eyes, and flew around the room.

Tyson laughed and clapped his hands. The bird landed on Tyson's shoulder and nipped his ear affectionately

Hephaestus regarded him. The god's scowl didn't change, but I thought I saw a kinder twinkle in his eyes. "I sense you have something to tell me, Cyclops."

Tyson's smile faded. "Y-yes, lord. We met a Hundred-Handed One."

Hephaestus nodded, not looking surprised at all. "Briares?"

"Yes. He- he was scared. He would not help us."

"And that bothered you."

"Yes!" Tyson's voice wavered. "Briares should be strong! He is older and greater than Cyclopes. But he ran away."

Hephaestus grunted. "There was a time I admired the Hundred-Handed Ones. Back in the days of the first war. But people, monsters, even gods change, young Cyclops. You can't trust 'em. Look at my loving mother, Hera. You met her, didn't you? She'll smile to your face and talk about how important family is, eh? Didn't stop her from pitching me off Mount Olympus when she saw my ugly face."

"But I thought Zeus did that to you," Percy said.

Hephaestus cleared his throat and spat into a bronze spittoon. He snapped his fingers, and the robotic falcon flew back to the worktable.

"Mother likes telling that version of the story," he grumbled. "Makes her seem more likeable, doesn't it? Blaming it all on my dad. The truth is, my mother likes families, but she likes a certain kind of family. _Perfect_families. She took one look at me and...well, I don't fit the image, do I?"

I kind of felt bad for Hephaestus because he has a mother who hates him, a dad who likes to...um, 'meet' with a lot of women, a jackass for a brother, and a repugnant wife who cheats on him.

Hephaestus pulled a feather from the falcon's back, and the whole automaton fell apart.

"Believe me, young Cyclops," Hephaestus said, "you can't trust others. All you can trust is the work of your own hands."

Although I don't exactly trust all of Hephaestus' projects, I couldn't blame him for his trust issues. It's the people around him that have caused him to believe that.

Hephaestus turned to Percy and narrowed his eyes. "Oh, this one doesn't like me," he mused. "No worries, I'm used to that. What would you ask of me, little demigod?"

_'Doesn't like me_,' I thought. I looked at Percy's solemn expression that he got when he felt guilty about Bianca's death. Talos came into my mind and Bianca's brave decision to destroy the giant metal automaton from the inside.

"We told you," Percy said, changing back to normal. "We need to find Daedalus. There's this guy, Luke, and he's working for Kronos. He's trying to find a way to navigate the Labyrinth so he can invade our camp. If we don't get to Daedalus first-"

"And I told _you_, boy. Looking for Daedalus is a waste of time. He won't help you."

"Why not?"

Hephaestus shrugged. "Some of us get thrown off mountainsides. Some of us...the way we learn not to trust people is more painful. Ask me for gold. Or a flaming sword. Or a magical steed. These I can grant you easily. But a way to Daedalus? That's an expensive favor."

"You know where he is, then," I pressed.

"It isn't wise to go looking, girl."

"And why not?" I challenged.

"You sure are stubborn half-bloods," Hephaestus said.

"I get it from my dad," Percy and I said together.

"Your parents?" Hephaestus asked.

"Zeus," I said.

Percy sighed. "Poseidon."

"Right," Hephaestus said, as if recovering a forgotten memory. "You two were the ones at the solstice. Brave demigods, you two are. Alright, half-bloods. I can tell you what you want to know, but there is a price. I need a favor done."

"Name it," Percy said.

Hephaestus actually laughed- a booming sound like those giant speakers you find at electronics stores. "You heroes," he said, "always making rash promises. How refreshing!"

He pressed a button on his workbench, and metal shutters opened along the wall. It was either a huge window or a big-screen TV, but it was most likely a TV. We were looking at a grey mountain ringed in forests. It must've been a volcano, and one of Hephaestus' forges, because smoke rose from its crest.

"One of my forges," Hephaestus said. "I have many, but that used to be my favorite."

"That's Mount St. Helens," Grover said. "Great forests around there."

"You've been there?" Percy asked.

"Looking for...you know, Pan."

"Isn't that where Typhon is trapped?" I asked.

Hephaestus scratched his smoldering beard. "Well, that's why it _used_ _to be_my favorite. Typhon used to be under Mount Etna, but when we moved to America, his force got pinned under Mount St. Helens instead. Great source of fire, but a bit dangerous. There's always a chance he will escape. Lots of eruptions these days, smoldering all the time. He's restless with the Titan rebellion."

"What do you want us to do?" Percy said. "Fight him?"

I looked at him strangely.

Hephaestus snorted. "That would be suicide. The gods themselves ran from Typhon when he was free. No, pray you never have to see him, much less fight him. But lately I have sensed intruders in my mountain. Someone or something is using my forges. When I go there, it is empty, but I can tell it is being used. They sense me coming, and they disappear. I send my automatons to investigate, but they do not return. Something...ancient is there. Evil. I want to know who dares invade my territory, and if they mean to free Typhon."

"You want us to find out who it is," Percy said.

"Aye," Hephaestus responded. "Go there. They may not sense you coming. You are not gods."

"Glad you noticed," Percy muttered.

"Go and find out what you can," Hephaestus said. "Report back to me, and I will tell you what you need to know about Daedalus."

"Alright," I said. "How do we get there?"

Hephaestus clapped his hands. The spider came swinging down from the rafters. I grinned when it landed at my feet.

"My creation will show you they way," Hephaestus said. "It is not far through the Labyrinth. And try to stay alive, will you? Humans are much more fragile than automatons."

HORIZONTAL

We were doing okay until we hit the tree roots. The spider raced along and we were keeping up, but then we spotted a tunnel off to the side that was dug from raw earth, and wrapped in thick roots. Grover stopped dead in his tracks.

"What is it?" Percy said.

Grover didn't move. He stared open-mouthed into the dark tunnel. His curly hair rustled in the breeze.

"Come on!" I said. "We have to keep moving."

"This is the way," Grover muttered in awe. "This is it."

"What way?" Percy asked. "You mean...to Pan?"

Grover looked at Tyson. "Don't you smell it?"

"Dirt," Tyson said. "And plants."

"Yes! This is the way. I'm sure of it!"

Up ahead, the spider was getting farther down the stone corridor. A few more seconds and we'd lose it.

"We'll come back," I promised. "On our way back to Hephaestus."

"The tunnel will be gone by then," Grover persisted. "I _have_to follow it. A door like this won't stay open!"

"But we can't," I said. "The forges!"

Grover looked at me sadly. "I have to, Thalia. Don't you understand?"

This was dangerous. I was torn between choosing finding Daedalus or watching one of my best friends lose his job. The spider was almost out of sight. Before I could say anything, Percy spoke up,

"We'll split up," he said.

"No!" I said. "That's way too dangerous. How will we ever find each other again? And Grover can't go alone."

Tyson put his hand on Grover's shoulder. "I- I will go with him."

Percy and I gaped at Tyson, not believing what we were hearing. "Tyson, are you sure?" Percy asked.

The big guy nodded. "Goat boy needs help. We will find the god person. I am not like Hephaestus. I trust friends."

Grover took a deep breath. "Percy, we'll find each other again. We've still got the empathy link. I just...have to."

I thought sadly back to the Council of Cloven Elders. This was Grover's life goal. If he didn't find Pan on this journey, they would never give him another chance.

"I hope you're right," Percy said.

"I know I am." I'd never heard him sound so confident about anything, except maybe that cheese enchiladas were better than chicken enchiladas.

"Be careful," Percy told Grover. Then Percy looked at Tyson. They hugged and Tyson practically squeezed Percy's eyes out of their sockets. Then Tyson and Grover disappeared through the tunnel of tree roots and were lost in the darkness.

I felt like we had stripped our armor down to bare minimum. Percy and I were good fighters, but Tyson with his massive brute force, and Grover with his woodland magic, helped us a lot.

"This is bad," I said. "Splitting up is a really, really bad idea."

"We'll see them again," Percy said, trying to sound confident. "Now come on. The spider is getting away!"

HORIZONTAL

It wasn't long before the tunnel started to get hot.

The stone walls glowed. The air felt as if we were walking through an oven. The tunnel sloped down and I could hear a loud roar, like a wind gust made of metal. The spider skittered along, with me right behind.

I had a bad feeling about this in the pit of my stomach, but I put it off. I kept telling myself that it was nothing. But why did I sense such dread?

The roaring got louder. After another half mile or so, we emerged in a cavern the size of a Super Bowl stadium. Our spider escort stopped and curled into a ball. We had arrived at the forge of Hephaestus.

There was no floor, just bubbling lava hundreds of feet below. We stood on a rock ridge that circled the cavern. A network of metal bridges spanned across it. At the center was a huge platform with all sorts of machines, cauldrons, forges, and the largest anvil I'd ever seen- a block of iron the size of a house. Creatures moved around the platform- several strange, dark shapes, but they were too far away to make out details.

I picked up the metal spider and slipped it into my pocket. "I think we should go along the outer rim of the pool of lava."

Percy nodded in assent and followed me as I navigated the skinny ridge, to try and make out what the monsters were.

The heat was horrible. Geryon's...no, Eurytion's ranch had been a winter wonderland compared to this. In no time, Percy and I were drenched with sweat. Not exactly a good way to be when you're "hanging out" with your boyfriend.

The smoke stung my eyes. I moved along, trying to keep away from the edge, until I found our way blocked by a cart on metal wheels, like the kind they use in mine shafts. I lifted up the tarp and found it was half full of scrap metal- celestial bronze.

"Hey, Percy," I said. "Look. Celestial bronze. What do these monsters need celestial bronze for?"

"There's one thing that I know for sure," he replied. "Whatever they're doing, it can't be good."

I was about to squeeze my way around the cart when I heard voices from up ahead, probably from a side tunnel.

"Bring it in?" one asked.

"Yeah," another said. "Movie's just about done."

I panicked. Using the smoke to my advantage, I crept away from the voices and hid behind a big bronze cauldron. I saw a shadowy figure jump into the cart. Percy scrambled inside and pulled the tarp over him.

"Did you see that dark figure run over to the cauldron?" one of the monsters asked.

"Probably just in a rush," the other monster shrugged.

They got pulled along, and disappeared around the corner. I hid behind the cauldron and took glances around the giant forge. There were figures pounding on their workbench. I wonder what they're working on?

**Percy's POV**

Thalia panicked. So I did too. I had jumped into the cart and hid myself.

The cart lurched forward.

"Oi," a gruff voice said. "Thing weighs a ton."

"It's celestial bronze," the other said. "What did you expect?"

I got pulled along. We turned a corner, and from the sound of the wheels echoing against the walls I guessed we had passed down a tunnel and into a smaller room. Hopefully I was not about to be dumped into a smelting pot. If they started to tip me over, I'd have to fight my way out quick. I heard lots of talking, chattering voices that didn't sound human—somewhere between a seal's bark and a dog's growl. There were other sounds too—like an old-fashioned film projector and a tinny voice narrating.

"Just set it in the back," a new voice ordered from across the room. "Now, younglings, please attend to the film. There will be time for questions afterward."

The voices quieted down, and I could hear the film.

_As a young sea demon matures,_ the narrator said, _changes happen in the monster's body. You may notice your fangs getting longer and you may have a sudden desire to devour human beings. These changes are perfectly normal and happen to all young monsters_.

Excited snarling filled the room. The teacher—I guess it must have been a teacher—told the younglings to be quiet, and the film continued. I didn't understand most of it, and I didn't dare look. The film kept talking about growth spurts and acne problems caused by working in the forges, and proper flipper hygiene, and finally it was over.

"Now, younglings," the instructor said, "what is the proper name of our kind?"

"Sea demons!" one of them barked.

"No. Anyone else?"

"Telekhines!" another monster growled.

"Very good," the instructor said. "And why are we here?"

"Revenge!" several shouted.

"Yes, yes, but why?"

"Zeus is evil!" one monster said. "He cast us into Tartarus just because we used magic!"

"Indeed," the instructor said. "After we made so many of the gods' finest weapons. The trident of Poseidon, for one. And of course—we made the greatest weapon of the Titans! Nevertheless, Zeus cast us away and relied on those fumbling Cyclopes. That is why we are taking over the forges of the usurper Hephaestus. And soon we will control the undersea furnaces, our ancestral home!"

I clutched my pen-sword. These snarling things had created Poseidon's trident? What were they talking about? I'd never even heard of a telekhine.

"And so, younglings," the instructor continued, "who do we serve?"

"Kronos!" they shouted.

"And when you grow to be big telekhines, will you make weapons for the army?"

"Yes!"

"Excellent. Now, we've brought in some scraps for you to practice with. Let's see how ingenious you are."

There was a rush of movement and excited voices coming toward the cart. I got ready to uncap Riptide. The tarp was thrown back. I jumped up, my bronze sword springing to life in my hands, and found myself facing a bunch of…dogs.

Well, their faces were dogs, anyway, with black snouts, brown eyes, and pointy ears. Their bodies were sleek and black like sea mammals, with stubby legs that were half flipper, half foot, and humanlike hands with sharp claws. If you blended together a kid, a Doberman pinscher, and a sea lion, you'd get something like what I was looking at.

"A demigod!" one snarled.

"Eat it!" yelled another.

But that's as far as they got before I slashed a wide arc with Riptide and vaporized the entire front row of monsters.

"Back off!" I yelled at the rest, trying to sound fierce. Behind them stood their instructor—a six-foot-tall telekhine with Doberman fangs snarling at me. I did my best to stare him down.

"New lesson, class," I announced. "Most monsters will vaporize when sliced with a celestial bronze sword. This change is perfectly normal, and will happen to you _right now_if you don't BACK OFF!"

To my surprise, it worked. The monsters backed up, but there were at least twenty of them. My fear factor wasn't going to last long.

I jumped out of the cart, yelled, "CLASS DISMISSED!" and ran for the exit.

The monsters charged after me, barking and growling. I hoped they couldn't run very fast with those stubby little legs and flippers, but they waddled along pretty well. Thank the gods there was a door in the tunnel leading out to the main cavern. I slammed it shut and turned the wheel handle to lock it, but I doubted it would keep them long.

I didn't know what to do. Thalia was out here somewhere, hidden. Our chance for a subtle reconnaissance mission had been blown. I ran toward the platform at the center of the lava lake.

**Thalia's POV**

A figure came rushing out into the main room of the forge.

"Thalia!" he yelled.

My eyes-widened and I ran up to him, grabbed him and pulled him behind the cauldron.

"What the Hades were you thinking?" I asked.

"What?"

"Why did you hide in the cart?"

"Well...I panicked!"

"So did I!"

"We're going to have company!"

"What company?" I asked.

He quickly explained to me about the monster orientation class. When he named the species of the monster, I got confused.

"What's a telekhine?" I asked.

"I dunno."

We peeked over the cauldron. In the center of the platform stood the four sea demons, but these were fully grown, unlike the ones Percy faced in the monster orientation class. Sparks flew once again as they pounded a, now, distinctive shape on their work bench. It was a long, glowing rod of hot metal.

"The blade is almost complete," one said. "It needs another cooling in blood to fuse the metals."

"Aye," a second said. "It shall be even sharper than before."

"What _is_that?" Percy whispered.

I shook my head. "I don't know, but they're talking about a blade. And..."

"They were talking about the greatest Titan weapon," Percy said. "And they...they said they made my father's trident."

"Telekhines...sea demons..." I mused. Then the story came whistling back into my head. "They betrayed the gods! They were practicing dark magic. They got what they deserved."

"We have to get out-" I got cut off.

The door to the classroom exploded and young telekhines came pouring out. They stumbled over each other, trying to figure out which way to charge.

"Sneak out," Percy said. "Get out!"

"What?" I exclaimed. "Are you crazy?"

"I've got a plan. I'll distract them. You can use the metal spider- maybe it'll lead you back to Hephaestus. You have to tell him what's going on."

"But...you'll be killed!" I closed my eyes, thinking of what Percy might possibly go through that could be worse than death.

My Kelp Head was too oblivious to remember the prophecy. "I'll be fine. Besides, we've got no choice."

Like I've said before, I'm not a sentimental person, but when something really bad is about to happen, sometimes I cry. I felt the tears build up in my eyes, and kissed Percy.

"Don't die, Kelp Head." I snuck away, wiping a hand over my face to get rid of the tears.

"There!" a telekhine yelled. I heard the _clang_of the red-hot blade as Percy sprinted up to the middle platform.

Remembering his power at the creek last winter in Capture the Flag, I quickly sprinted away, trying to find the exit. I finally realized his plan. His plan was the use all of his power to destroy the telekhines. I cried some more as I located the entrance to the Labyrinth. It was a few hundred feet away.

"What do we have here? A son of Poseidon?" I heard one of the elder telekhines snarl.

"Yes," another growled. "I can smell the sea in his blood."

"Strike down one of us, demigod," a different demon said, "and the rest of us shall tear you to shreds. Your father betrayed us. He took our gift and said nothing as we were cast into the pit. We will see _him_sliced to pieces. He and all the other Olympians."

I felt the weird chill in the air, like when Kronos was around. It was like Mount Tam in California as Mount Othrys rose, building itself brick by brick. Time seemed to slow down around me, but I didn't move any faster. Everything had slowed down, including my thinking process.

I glanced at the metal blade that lay on the floor of the central area of the forge. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach as I realized what weapon they were trying to recreate. Kronos' scythe.

Time started once again, moving at normal speed. The tallest telekhine said, "Let us see how strong he is. Let us see how long it takes him to burn!"

I was at the entrance to the Labyrinth, but those words halted me. I was really stupid, but I turned to look at Percy. Each of the telekhines and scooped some lava out of the furnaces. The first one threw a glob of molten rock at Percy and set his pants on fire. Two more splattered on his chest. Percy dropped his sword in terror and swatted at his clothes. The fire was engulfing him.

"Percy!" I yelled.

A telekhine turned toward me and started going after me.

"Do not waste your time with the girl," the eldest looking telekhine said. "You will get lost in that horrid maze." He turned to Percy. "Your father's nature protects you. Makes your hard to burn. But not impossible, youngling. Not impossible."

Like sadists, the telekhines threw more lava at him, and Percy began screaming. His whole body was on fire. He crumpled to the metal floor and I heard the sea demon children howling in delight.

"Go! Thalia, go!" Each word Percy spoke was with high strain. "GO!"

The last outburst sprung me into action. I turned and ran down the corridor of the Labyrinth. The last thing I heard before blacking out, was a bloodcurdling scream that seemed to shake the world. It seemed as if the earth itself was groaning and moving. A loud _BOOM!_was heard from the direction of the volcano and tears sprung in my eyes.

Just before blacking out, I saw the face of an ugly man, with a beard that was on fire. He picked me up and as I closed my eyes, a bright light seemed to engulf me.

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear. It would be awesome if you guys could tell what mistakes there are so that I can fix them to make the story clearer. Thanks.**

**Hopefully you enjoyed this. Please review or private message me for suggestions and opinions.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**Check out my other stories. I recommend not viewing the 'Flash to the Past: Reading the Titan's Curse' one because it is discontinued.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**A HEADS UP: Sorry about taking so long to update. It will be more space out from now on because of the tons of work I have to do. Peace.**

**Read the "Titan's Curse: Perlia Style" story first to get a background of what is happening.**


	13. That Cursed Island

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians' quotes and plot line. I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians characters. I am not Rick Riordan.**

**This is my fourth FanFic although my first one got reported for MST and the second one I put up for adoption. The third one is complete.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**Thanks for reading my story and if you have any comments or suggestions, review or private message me. If you do not like Perlia do not flame by sending me messages saying you don't like Perlia and random stuff like that.**

**Just in case you were wondering, the length of an update is according to the length of the chapters in the real book.**

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear. It would be awesome if you guys could tell what mistakes there are so that I can fix them to make the story clearer. Thanks.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**A HEADS UP: Updating will be more spaced out from now on because of the tons of work I have to do. Peace.**

Chapter 13: That Cursed Island

**Thalia's POV**

Dreams haunted me that night, Morpheus allowing me to peek into visions of enemies. Or in this case, my boyfriend.

He was flying so high in the sky, I was afraid my father would blast him to bits. Flames ate at his clothing, flickering and dancing as he sped through the atmosphere. Then he plummeted downward, like a comet hurtling toward the earth. Already on fire, this did not help. Like with most of the things that fall into the earth's atmosphere, they burned up.

What? It's not science. My father just keeps the air made of that element and it makes things burn up.

As if I were a camera on a movie set, I kept following Percy's path as he hurtled toward the surface. Suddenly, my view shifted and I could see the large ocean under him. My dream self sighed in relief and waited for Percy to land in the ocean and for the Needs to return him to Poseidon's palace.

But...if he was going to be kept at Poseidon's palace, why would I even be having this dream?

Then I saw why. Now, a small island was visible. Was that Hawaii? No, it couldn't be. Hawaii wasn't _that_small.

As Percy got closer to the island, I could start making out larger details. Time slowed as I took in the beautiful scenery of the island. There was a cave that was near the beach, a rocky beach. Between the beach and the entrance to the cave was a green meadow. To the right of the cave (from my point of view), there was a grove of cedar trees, and to the left was a huge flower garden. There were more flowers there than I could name, but I guarantee that Sally could list them. The garden was magnificent, glittering with rainbow colors.

I turned my attention to the fountains gurgling in the center of the meadow, each shooting water from the pipes of stone satyrs. That's when I noticed the figure peering up at Percy. I could see that the figure wore a white article of clothing. However, something from the neck area glittered. Was the figure wearing a necklace?

Before I could get a good look at the figure, time resumed and the view switched back to Percy. He landed in the water near the rocky beach, making a small splash. Usually, you'd make a giant splash if you dropped from the thermosphere, but being a child of Poseidon really helps.

I saw the figure appear and kneel at Percy's side, dragging him out of the water. I hadn't really paid much attention to it before, but Percy was actually very, very fit. The figure struggled to bring Percy out of the water, but managed to flip him over. Then my dream self gasped. Percy had dark bags under his eyes and his face pale. He looked weary, as if he'd been up for a whole week without any rest whatsoever.

The explosion came back to me and I remembered the force I was thrown back with. I remembered the Earth's grumbling, and Hephaestus' face appear over me.

Then my dream froze, having the figure hover her face over Percy's. That's right, _her_.

The girl had almond eyes and caramel-color hair braided over one shoulder. She looked about fifteen physically, but her face looked timeless. Her concerned filled eyes stared down at Percy's pale face, her hand lay gently on Percy's face, like she was about to kiss him. And before I could get any more jealous, my dream dissolved.

**Percy's POV (When he wakes up)**

"Who?" I croaked.

"Shh, brave one," she said. "Rest and heal. No harm will come to you here. I am Calypso."

Before I fell into a deep slumber, all I could think about was Calypso's beautiful face, and how much Thalia would kill me if she ever read my thoughts.

**Thalia's POV (Right after her POV ended the first time)**

My eyes shot open and the smell of fire and smoke filled my nostrils. Then I noticed that I was on a mattress in Hephaestus' workshop.

The sounds of a hammer nailing something in echoed down the hall. Shivering, I got up. My legs wobbled as I thought back to the dream I had the previous night.

I walked down the hall into the main room, that Tyson, Grover, Percy and I talked to Hephaestus the first time. As my footsteps echoed down the hallway, the hammering ceased. Hephaestus rolled himself out from under that same Toyota Corolla.

"Hello, girl," Hephaestus wiped his hands. "I see you're up. Now that you're feeling better, I better send you back to camp."

"What about Percy?" I asked. "And how'd you know I was coming?"

Hephaestus wiped his hands on a dirty rag. "Sound detectors. Simple things, they are. And your boyfriend...I don't know where he is."

"But...I had a dream," I said. "He was on this island, with another girl."

"Island, you say," Hephaestus mused. "Nah. You're probably just dreaming. 'S why automatons are so much better. Don't dream improbable things."

"But-"

"Listen, girl. I gotta get you back to camp. Got it."

I shut up and nodded morosely.

Hephaestus gave me another mechanical spider and told me to follow it. When they say Hephaestus is really attached to robots and distances himself from "living organisms," they were completely correct.

I ran after the spider as it made its way back through the Labyrinth. As I progressed, I kept hearing strange sounds, and voices that sounded so familiar, yet different.

Within the next day, I got back to camp. I touched the Greek Delta and climbed the ladder back into camp.

Clarisse nearly jumped out of her skin when I appeared out of the hole in Zeus' Fist.

"Where's Tyson, Grover, and Percy?" Clarisse asked.

"Tyson and Grover are looking for Pan in the Labyrinth, and Percy...he's missing."

Clarisse and Percy may not be on the best of terms, but they respect one another and Clarisse's face darkened. "Come on. We better report this to Chiron."

We made our way through camp, and I could see all of the campers preparing for war. A lot turned to look at me, and gazed worriedly as Percy, Grover and Tyson weren't following. Clarisse's glare got them back to working.

I stared sadly at the Poseidon cabin as we passed by the central green. The normal aquamarine color of the cabin greyed, probably reflecting Poseidon's mood.

"Chiron," called Clarisse. The Big House's porch was in view now. Dionysus and Chiron peered up from their game of pinochle. Dionysus remained unconcerned when he saw that I was alone, but Chiron...he acted immediately. Chiron seemed to jump out of his wheelchair into centaur form and galloped toward us.

"Thalia! Where are Tyson, Grover and Percy?" Chiron asked.

"Tyson and Grover are searching for Pan in the Labyrinth," I said, trying to keep my voice calm. I didn't say anything about Percy. I'm pretty sure Chiron could guess what I was thinking. I looked up into his dark brown eyes and the same thought passed through us. _And lose a friend to worse than death._

See, that's the thing. Hephaestus didn't indicate that Percy was dead. He just said that Percy was in bad condition which only raised the indication that he was facing something worse than death. Although I keep getting this nagging feeling that the dream I had about the girl tending Percy was all too real.

"I'm sorry, Thalia," Chiron sympathized.

"Sure," I muttered dejectedly. "I'll...I'll be going."

I trudged back down to the beach, probably Percy's favorite spot in camp. When I first popped out of the tree, he used to bring Annabeth and I down to the beach all the time. We would have fun and Annabeth and Percy would play like a couple. Believe it or not, back then, I thought that Annabeth and Percy would make a wonderful couple, and I had never believed that one day, I would end up falling in love with Percy.

Then, the feeling of love brought me to think why the prophecy didn't say _And lose a _love_ to worse than death._I mean, that would make more sense seeing as he is my love.

Then, a creepy feeling surrounded me. I felt like I was being watched. An odd chill passed through the air and for a second, I thought it was Kronos...but no. It was too pleasant to be Kronos. It couldn't be another Titan, seeing as I felt as though I had been in this immortal's presence before. I felt magic in the air before my eyes suddenly shut and I collapsed to the ground.

* * *

When I woke up, there was a searing pain in my head, as if someone has smashed it with a metal baseball bat.

I took in my surroundings. I was in the Poseidon cabin, lying in Percy's bunk. Confused, I tried to get up and walk to the door.

I sniffed the salty-sea smell that was always around this cabin. I sighed. The smell reminded me so much of Percy. He would go swimming everyday around the beach.

Beach... I was at the beach yesterday. I was thinking about the fact that Percy was missing in action and I would probably never see him again.

Then my thoughts hit me like a speeding bullet train. _Percy is gone._

I sank to my knees, and hugged my knees to my chest. I looked around the room once more. Traumatized by the events that happened, I passed out on the floor, totally unlike my normal self.

**Percy's POV**

The girl with the braided caramel hair, the one who'd called herself Calypso, was standing at the beach, talking to someone. I couldn't see him very well in the shimmer from the sunlight off the water, but they appeared to be arguing. I tried to remember what I knew about Calypso from the old myths. I'd heard the name before, but…I couldn't remember. Was she a  
monster? Did she trap heroes and kill them? But if she was evil, why was I still alive?

I walked toward her slowly because my legs were still stiff. When the grass changed to gravel, I looked down to keep my balance, and when I looked up again, the girl was alone. She wore a white sleeveless Greek dress with a low circular neckline trimmed in gold. She brushed at her eyes like she'd been crying.

"Well," she said, trying for a smile, "the sleeper finally wakes."

"Who were you talking to?" My voice sounded like a frog that had spent time in a microwave.

"Oh…just a messenger," she said. "How do you feel?"

"How long have I been out?"

"Time," Calypso mused. "Time is always difficult here. I honestly don't know, Percy."

"You know my name?"

"You talk in your sleep."

I blushed. "Yeah. I've been…uh, told that before."

"Yes. Who is Thalia?"

I blushed even redder. I wasn't exactly comfortable announcing that Thalia and I were dating. And I'm pretty sure that half of camp doesn't even know...depending on whether Malcolm or Grover told anybody. "She's...uh...my girlfriend. We were together when- wait, how did I get here? Where am I?"

When I told Calypso that I was dating Thalia, she quickly glanced away from me, as if trying to hide a little hurt that I wasn't available. However, I also noticed a slight exhale. Then, she turned back and reached up toward my face. I stepped back nervously.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I've just grown used to caring for you. As to how you got here, you fell from the sky. You landed in the water, just there." She pointed across the beach. "I do not know how you survived. The water seemed to cushion your fall. As to where you are, you are in Ogygia."

She pronounced it like _oh-jee-jee-ah_.

"Is that near Mount St. Helens?" I asked, because my geography is pretty terrible.

Calypso laughed. It was a small restrained laugh, like she found me really funny but didn't want to embarrass me. She was actually kind of cute when she laughed.

"It isn't near anything, brave one," she said. "Ogygia is my phantom island. It exists by itself, anywhere and nowhere. You can heal here in safety. Never fear."

"But my friends-"

"Thalia," she said. "And Grover and Tyson?"

"Yes!" I said. "I have to get back to them. They're in danger."

She touched my face and this time, I didn't back away, though I felt as if magic held me rooted. "Rest first. You are no good to your friends until you heal."

As soon as she said it, I realized how tired I was. "You're not..you're not an evil sorceress, are you?"

She smiled coyly. "Why would you think that?"

"Well, I met Circe once, and she had a pretty nice island, too. Except she liked to turn men into guinea pigs."

Calypso gave me that laugh again. "I promise I will not turn you into a guinea pig."

"Or anything else?"

"I am no evil sorceress," Calypso said. "And I am not your enemy, brave one. Now rest. Your eyes are already closing."

She was right. My knees buckled, and I would've landed face-first in the gravel if Calypso hadn't caught me. Her hair smelled like cinnamon. She was very strong, or maybe I was just really weak and thin. She walked me back to a cushioned bench by the fountain and helped me lie down.

"Rest," she ordered. And I fell asleep to the sound of the fountains and the smell of cinnamon and juniper.

* * *

The next time I woke it was night, but I wasn't sure if it was the same night or many nights later. I was in the bed in the cave, but I rose and wrapped a robe around myself and padded outside. The stars were brilliant—thousands of them, like you only see way out in the country. I could make out all the constellations Annabeth had taught me: Capricorn, Pegasus, Sagittarius. And there, near the southern horizon, was a new constellation: the Huntress, a tribute to a friend of ours who had died last winter.

"Percy, what do you see?"

I brought my eyes back to earth. I stared at Calypso and this time, I really took a good look at her. Don't get the wrong idea here; I'm fifteen. Even without makeup, Calypso looked more beautiful than Aphrodite and...

I snapped myself back to focus. I remembered Thalia's face as I yelled at her to run away. Now _that_, is a face I will always love.

"Percy?"

"Huh, what?"

"You were...unfocused a bit there. What were you thinking about?" Calypso asked.

"Just that constellation." I pointed to the Huntress. "Do you know that one?"

"In fact," Calypso frowned, "I don't. Do you know the story? I don't get out much and am not able to hear newer stories."

"Well. She was a Hunter of Artemis," I started. "Last winter, Atlas escaped from his burden"- Calypso winced for an unknown reason -"and trapped Lady Artemis under it. This Hunter travelled with me, Thalia, Grover and another Hunter, Bianca, across the United States-"

"United States?"

"It is a country...much like Greece, with a democracy."

"Ah, yes. I remember now. Hermes told me about this 'America' when he visited last."

"Yeah. And Thalia, Grover, Bianca, me and her went to go rescue Artemis. Bianca unfortunately died saving us, but did it for a good cause. Then, we got to Mount Tam in California- a state on the west coast of the U.S. -where Mount Othrys was rising once again. In a battle, Artemis got freed from her burden and trapped Atlas back under it. Unfortunately, Atlas killed the Hunter. She was Artemis' lieutenant for over two thousand years and when she died, she was put in the stars. Right there," I finished.

"That is very sad," Calypso sighed.

I nodded and we stared at the sky for what seemed like eternity.

"Would you like to help me plant these?" Calypso held up a silvery flower.

"Sure."

She handed me the plant, which had a clump of dirt and roots at the base. The flowers glowed as I held them. Calypso picked up her gardening spade and directed me to the edge of the garden, where she began to dig.

"That's moonlace," Calypso explained. "It can only be planted at night."

I watched the silvery light flicker around the petals. "What does it do?"

"Do?" Calypso mused. "It doesn't really _do_anything, I suppose. It lives, it gives light, it provides beauty. Does it have to do anything else?"

"I suppose not," I said.

She took the plant, and our hands met. Her fingers were warm. She planted the moonlace and stepped back, surveying her work. "I love my garden."

"It's awesome," I agreed. I mean, I wasn't exactly a gardening type, but Calypso had arbors covered with six different colors of roses, lattices filled with honeysuckle, rows of grapevines bursting with red and purple grapes that would've made Dionysus sit up and beg.

"Back home," I said, "my mom always wanted a garden."

"Why did she not plant one?"

"Well, we live in Manhattan. In an apartment."

"Manhattan? Apartment?"

I stared at her. "You don't know what I'm talking about, do you?"

"I fear not. I haven't left Ogygia in…a long time."

"Well, Manhattan's a big city, with not much gardening space."

Calypso frowned. "That is sad. Hermes visits from time to time. He tells me the world outside has changed greatly. I did not realize it had changed so much you cannot have gardens."

"Why haven't you left your island?"

She looked down. "It is my punishment."

"Why? What did you do?"

"I? Nothing. But I'm afraid my father did a great deal. His name is Atlas."

I froze. "Still," I said hesitantly, "it's not fair to punish you for what your father's done. I knew another daughter of Atlas. Her name was Zoë. She was one of the bravest people I've ever met. In fact," I pointed back up to the constellation of Zoë, "that's her right there."

Calypso studied me for a long time. Her eyes were sad.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Are- are you healed yet, my brave one? Do you think you'll be ready to leave soon?"

"What?" I asked. "I don't know." I moved my legs. They were still stiff. I was already getting dizzy from standing up so long. "You want me to go? Don't you ever feel lonely.

"I..." Her voice broke. "I'll see you in the morning. Sleep well."

She ran off toward the beach. I was too confused to do anything but watch until she disappeared in the dark.

* * *

I don't know exactly how much time passed. Like Calypso said, it was hard to keep track on the island. I knew I should be leaving. At the very least, my friends would be worried. At worst, they could be in serious danger. I didn't even know if Thalia had made it out of the volcano. I tried to use my empathy link with Grover several times, but I couldn't make contact. I hated not knowing if they were all right.

On the other hand, I really was weak. I couldn't stay on my feet more than a few hours. Whatever I'd done in Mount St. Helens had drained me like nothing else I'd ever expected.

I didn't feel like a prisoner or anything. I remembered the Lotus Hotel and Casino in Vegas, where I'd been lured into this amazing game world until I almost forgot everything I cared about. But the island of Ogygia wasn't like that at all. I thought about Thalia, Grover, and Tyson constantly. I remembered exactly why I needed to leave. I just…couldn't. and then there was Calypso herself.

She never talked much about herself, but that just made me want to know more. I would sit in the meadow, sipping nectar, and I would try to concentrate on the flowers or the clouds or the reflections on the lake, but I was really staring at Calypso as she worked, all alone and by herself on this cursed island for eternity. Then at some points, I would get lost in her eyes as she looked at me. However, she turned away with that sad expression written on her face every time we met eyes. I was too busy cursing Aphrodite to understand what was bothering _her_.

One night we were eating dinner together at the beach. Invisible servants had set up a table with beef stew and apple cider, which may not sound all that exciting, but that's because you haven't tasted it. I hadn't even noticed the invisible servants when I first got to the island, but after a while I became aware of the beds making themselves, meals cooking on their own, clothes being washed and folded by unseen hands.

Anyway, Calypso and I were sitting at dinner. I was telling her about New York and Camp Half-Blood, and then I started telling her about the time Grover had eaten an apple while we were playing Hacky Sack with it. Then, I told her about our adventures last winter in more detail. She laughed, smiled, and met my eyes. Then she dropped her gaze.

I frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"It's something, alright. You keep pulling away, like you're trying not to enjoy yourself."

She kept her eyes on her glass of cider. "You have a girlfriend, Percy."

"She doesn't get jealous easy."

Still keeping her gaze on her glass, she continued, "As I told you, Percy, I have been punished. Cursed, you might say."

"How? Tell me. I want to help."

"Don't say that. Please don't say that."

"Tell me what the punishment is."

She covered her half-finished stew with a napkin, and immediately an invisible servant whisked the bowl away. "Percy, this island, Ogygia, is my home, my birthplace. But it is also my prison. I am under…house arrest, I guess you would call it. I will never visit this Manhattan of yours. Or anywhere else. I am alone here."

"Because your father was Atlas."

She nodded. "The gods do not trust their enemies. And rightly so. I should not complain. Some of the prisons are not nearly as nice as mine."

"But that's not fair," I said. "Just because you're related doesn't mean you support him. Zoë Nightshade fought against him. She wasn't imprisoned."

"But, Percy," Calypso said gently, "I _did_support him in the first war. He is my father."

"_What?_But the Titans are evil!"

"Are they? All of them? All the time?" She pursed her lips. "Tell me, Percy. I have no wish to argue with you. But do you support the gods because they are good, or because they are your family?"

I didn't answer. She had a point. Last winter, after Thalia and I had saved Olympus, the gods had had a debate about whether or not they should kill us. That hadn't been exactly good. But still, I felt like I supported them because Poseidon was my dad.

"Perhaps I was wrong in the war," Calypso said. "And in fairness, the gods have treated me well. They visit me from time to time. They bring me word of the outside world. But they can leave. And I cannot."

"You don't have any friends." I looked around the empty area. "But... wouldn't anyone else want to live here with you? It's a nice place."

A tear trickled down her cheek. "I...I promised myself I wouldn't speak of this. But-"

She was interrupted by a rumbling sound somewhere out on the lake. A glow appeared on the horizon. It got brighter and brighter, until I could see a column of fire moving across the surface of the water, coming toward us.

I stood and reached for my sword. "What is that?"

Calypso sighed. "A visitor."

As the column of fire reached the beach. Calypso stood and bowed to it formally. The flames dissipated, and standing before us was a tall man in gray overalls and a metal leg brace, his beard and hair smoldering with fire.

"Lord Hephaestus," Calypso said. "This is a rare honor."

The fire god grunted. "Calypso. Beautiful as always. Would you excuse us, please, my dear? I need to have a word with our young Percy Jackson."

* * *

Hephaestus sat down clumsily at the dinner table and ordered a Pepsi. The invisible servant brought him one, opened it too suddenly, and sprayed soda all over the gods work clothes. Hephaestus roared and spat a few curses and swatted the can away.

"Stupid servants," he muttered. "Good automatons are what she needs. They never act up!"

"Hephaestus," I said, "what's going on? Is Thalia-"

"She's fine," he said. "You almost blew her to bits, but luckily I kept an eye out for you guys. I saw the whole thing. She's fallen into depression. Talked with Chiron the other day."

I choked back a sob. "You...you haven't told her I'm okay?"

"That's not for me to say," Hephaestus said. "Everyone thinks you're dead. I had to be sure you were coming back before I started telling everyone where you were."

"What do you mean?" I said. "Of course I'm coming back!"

Hephaestus studied me skeptically. He fished something out of his pocket—a metal disk the size of an iPod. He clicked a button and it expanded into a miniature bronze TV. On the screen was news footage of Mount St. Helens, a huge plume of fire and ash trailing into the sky.

_"Still uncertain about further eruptions,"_ the newscaster was saying. _"Authorities have ordered the evacuation of almost half a million people as a precaution. Meanwhile, ash has fallen as far away as Lake Tahoe and Vancouver, and the entire Mount St. Helens area is closed to traffic within a hundred-mile radius. While no deaths have been reported, minor injuries and illnesses include—"_

Hephaestus switched it off. "You caused quite an explosion."

I stared at the blank bronze screen. Half a million people evacuated? Injuries. Illness. What had I done?

"The telekhines were scattered," the god told me. "Some vaporized. Some got away, no doubt. I don't think they'll be using my forge any time soon. On the other hand, neither will I. the explosion caused Typhon to stir in his sleep. We'll have to wait and see—"

"I couldn't release him, could I? I mean, I'm not that powerful!"

The god grunted. "Not that powerful, eh? Could have fooled me. You're the son of the Earthshaker, lad. You don't know your own strength."

That's the last thing I wanted him to say. I hadn't been in control of myself in that mountain. I'd released so much energy I'd almost vaporized myself, drained all the life out of me. Now I found out I'd nearly destroyed the Northwest U.S. and almost woken the most horrible monster ever imprisoned by the gods. Maybe I was too dangerous. Maybe it was safer for  
my friends to think I was dead.

"What about Grover and Tyson?" I asked.

Hephaestus shook his head. "No word, I'm afraid. I suppose the Labyrinth has them."

"So what am I supposed to do?"

Hephaestus winced. "Don't ever ask an old cripple for advice, lad. But I'll tell you this. You've met my wife?"

"Aphrodite."

"That's her. She's a tricky one, ad. Be careful of love. It'll twist your brain around and leave you thinking up is down and right is wrong."

I thought about my meeting with Aphrodite, in the back of a white Cadillac in the desert last winter. She'd told me that she had taken a special interest in me, and she'd be making things hard for me in the romance department, just because she liked me.

"Is this part of her plan?" I asked. "Did she land me here?"

"Possibly. Hard to say with her. But if you decide to leave this place—and I don't say what's right or wrong—then I promised you an answer to your quest. I promised you the way to Daedalus. Well now, here's the thing. It has nothing to do with Ariadne's string. Not really. Sure, the string work. That's what the Titan's army will be after. Btu the best way through the maze…Theseus had the princess's help. And the princess was a regular mortal. Not a drop of god blood in her. But she was clever, and she could see, lad. She could see very clearly. So what I'm saying—I think you know how to navigate the maze."

It finally sank in. why hadn't I seen it before? Hera had been right. The answer was there all the time.

"Yeah," I said. "Yeah, I know."

"Then you'll need to decide whether or not you're leaving."

"I…" I wanted to say yes. Of course I would. But the words stuck in my throat. I found myself looking out at the lake, and suddenly the idea of leaving seemed very hard.

"Don't decide yet," Hephaestus advised. "Wait until daybreak. Daybreak is a good time for decisions."

"Will Daedalus even help us?" I asked. "I mean, if he gives Luke a way to navigate the Labyrinth, we're dead. I saw dreams about…Daedalus killed his nephew. He turned bitter and angry and—"

"It isn't easy being a brilliant inventor," Hephaestus rumbled. "Always alone. Always misunderstood. Easy to turn bitter, make horrible mistakes. People are more difficult to work with than machines. And when you break a person, he can't be fixed."

Hephaestus brushed the last drops of Pepsi off his work clothes.

"Daedalus started well enough. He helped the Princess Ariadne and Theseus because he felt sorry for them. He tried to do a good deed. And everything in his life went bad because of it. Was that fair?" The god shrugged. "I don't know if Daedalus will help you, lad, but don't judge someone until you've stood at his forge and worked with his hammer, eh?"

"I'll—I'll try."

Hephaestus stood. "Good-bye, lad. You did well, destroying the telekhines. I'll always remember you for that."

It sounded very final, that goodbye. Then he erupted into a column of flame, and the fire moved over the water, heading back to the world outside.

**Thalia's POV**

I threw a drachma into the water near the beach.

"Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, accept my offering," I said. The water shined. "Show me Annabeth Chase, Hunters of Artemis."

The mist shimmered into a forested area where the Hunters were gathered around, eating...was that bear meat?

"Thalia!" Annabeth exclaimed. All of the Hunters turned to me, even Artemis.

"Hey, Annabeth," I said.

She frowned. "What's wrong?"

I winced. Was it _that_noticeable? "Would you like to come back to camp for a couple of days?"

"Why...?"

"Percy's dead."

**Percy's POV**

I walked along the beach for several hours. When I finally came back to the meadow, it was very late, maybe four or five in the morning, but Calypso was still in her garden, tending the flowers by starlight. Her moonlace glowed silver, and the other plants responded to the magic, glowing red and yellow and blue.

"He has ordered you to return," Calypso guessed.

"Well, not ordered. He gave me a choice."

Her eyes met mine. "I promised I would not offer."

"Offer what?"

"For you to stay."

"Stay," I said. "Like…forever?"

"You would be immortal on this island," she said quietly. "You would never age or die. You could leave the fight to others, Percy Jackson. You could escape your prophecy."

I stared at her, stunned. "Just like that?"

She nodded. "Just like that."

"But…my friends."

Calypso rose and took my hand. Her touch sent a warm current through my body. "You asked about my curse, Percy. I did not want to tell you. The truth is the gods send me companionship from time to time. Every thousand years or so, they allow a hero to wash up on my shores, someone who needs my help. I tend to him and befriend him, but it is never random. The Fates make sure that the sort of hero they send..."

Her voice trembled, and she had to stop.

I squeezed her hand tighter. "What? What have I done to make you sad?"

"They send a person who can never stay," she whispered. "Who can never accept my offer of companionship for more than a little while. They send me a hero I can't help...just the sort of person I can't help falling in love with."

The night was quiet except for the gurgle of the fountains and waves lapping on the shore. It took me a long time to realized what she was saying.

"Me?" I asked, surprised. The only girl who's ever taken notice in me is Thalia. How could I look "good" to an immortal?

"If you could see your face." She suppressed a smile, though her eyes were still teary. "Of course, you."

"That's why you've been pulling away all this time?"

"I tried very hard. But I can't help it. The Fates are cruel. They sent you to me, my brave one, knowing that you would break my heart."

"But…I'm just…I mean, I'm just _me_."

"That is enough," Calypso promised. "I told myself I would not even speak of this. I would let you go without even offering. But I can't. I suppose the Fates knew that, too. You could stay with me, Percy. I'm afraid that is the only way you could help me."

I stared at the horizon. The first red streaks of dawn were lightening the sky. I could stay here forever, disappear from the earth. I could live with Calypso, with invisible servants tending to my every need. We could grow flowers in the garden and talk to songbirds and walk on the beach under perfect blue skies. No war. No prophecy. No more taking sides.

"There is another way," I said.

"How?"

"I don't know, but remember that I will do anything I can to help get you out of here. I'll help you get companionship, friends," I told her.

"That's very kind of you, Percy," she said. "But it is unlikely." She picked a flower from her garden- a sprig of silver moonlace. Its glow faded as the sunrise came up. _Daybreak is a good time for decisions,_Hephaestus had said. Calypso tucked the flower into my T-shirt pocket.

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed me on the forehead, like a blessing. "Then come to the beach, my hero. And we will send you on your way."

* * *

The raft was a ten-foot square of logs lashed together with a pole for a mast and a simple white linen sail. It didn't look like it would be very seaworthy, or lakeworthy.

"This will take you wherever you desire," Calypso promised. "It is quite safe."

I took her hand, but she let it slip out of mine.

"Maybe I can visit you," I said.

She shook her head. "No man ever finds Ogygia twice, Percy. When you leave, I will never see you again."

"But—"

"Go, please." Her voice broke. "The Fates are cruel, Percy. Just remember me." Then a little trace of her smile returned. "Plant a garden in Manhattan for me, will you?"

"I promise." I stepped onto the raft. Immediately it began to sail from the  
shore. "And I'll never forget the good you have done me."

She smiled and waved as I departed. Within minutes the island of Ogygia was lost in the mist. I was sailing alone over the water toward the sunrise.

Then I told the raft what to do. I said the only place I could think of, because I needed comfort and friends.

"Camp Half-Blood," I said. "Sail me home."

**Thalia's POV**

"Hey, Annabeth," I said as she arrived.

"How could that Seaweed Brain..." Annabeth looked about ready to burst into tears.

"Come on," I led her up to the amphitheatre. On my way, I couldn't help but think about last night's dream of the girl kissing Percy on the forehead. I kept trying to convince myself that I'm only dreaming this because I'm hallucinating.

_GO!_ Percy had screamed at me before he blew up Mount St. Helens. _Thalia, go!_

For the first time in a while, tears sprung to my eyes. I loved Percy too much to not cry. Annabeth led me down to the front row. People parted as they saw me, all feeling bad (although they thought it was because we were really close friends). The entire camp was sullen, sad because of Percy's death. But I knew it was going to happen all along...and I'm so weak now.

The campfire was lit and smoke rose.

"It has been two weeks since the disappearance of Percy Jackson. Unfortunately, we must assume he is dead," Chiron said. "After so long a silence, it is unlikely our prayers will be answered. I have asked his girlfriend to do the final honors"

I took a long green silk burial cloth, embroidered with a trident, and set it on the flames. People were still in shock that I was his girlfriend. I turned to face the audience. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. Annabeth came forward to help me.

"Thalia wants to say that Percy was probably the bravest person she's ever met and..." Simultaneously, Annabeth and I saw _him_standing at the back of the amphitheatre.

_That means he isn't the one in the prophecy._ My face went red. _He had me worried for nothing!_

"You!" I snarled at him.

As heads turned and gasps were heard, Percy timidly answered, "Surprise?"

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear. It would be awesome if you guys could tell what mistakes there are so that I can fix them to make the story clearer. Thanks.**

**Hopefully you enjoyed this. Please review or private message me for suggestions and opinions.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**Check out my other stories. I recommend not viewing the 'Flash to the Past: Reading the Titan's Curse' one because it is discontinued.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**A HEADS UP: Updating will be more spaced out from now on because of the tons of work I have to do. Peace.**

**Read the "Titan's Curse: Perlia Style" story first to get a background of what is happening.**


	14. Confession Time

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians' quotes and plot line. I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians characters. I am not Rick Riordan.**

**This is my fourth FanFic although my first one got reported for MST and the second one I put up for adoption. The third one is complete.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**Thanks for reading my story and if you have any comments or suggestions, review or private message me. If you do not like Perlia do not flame by sending me messages saying you don't like Perlia and random stuff like that.**

**Just in case you were wondering, the length of an update is according to the length of the chapters in the real book.**

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear. It would be awesome if you guys could tell what mistakes there are so that I can fix them to make the story clearer. Thanks.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**A HEADS UP: Updating will be more spaced out from now on because of the tons of work I have to do. Peace.**

Chapter 14: It Is Confession Time

**Due to my rushing, in the last chapter, I bluntly had Chiron announce that Thalia was Percy's girlfriend. I changed that for this chapter.**

**Percy's POV**

Hours after I left Calypso's island, my raft washed up at Camp Half-Blood. How I got there, I have no idea. At some point the lake water just changed to salt water. The familiar shoreline of Long Island appeared up ahead, and a couple of friendly great white sharks surfaced and steered me toward the beach.

When I landed, the camp seemed deserted. It was late afternoon, but the archery range was empty.

The climbing wall poured lava and rumbled all by itself. Pavilion: nothing. Cabins: all vacant. Then I noticed smoke rising from the amphitheater. Too early for a campfire, and I didn't figure they were roasting marshmallows. I ran toward it.

Before I even got there I heard Chiron making an announcement. When I realized what he was saying, I stopped dead in my tracks.

"—assume he is dead," Chiron said. "After so long a silence, it is unlikely our prayers will be answered. I have asked his best surviving friend to do the final honors."

I came up on the back of the amphitheatre. Nobody noticed me. They were all looking forward, watching as Thalia took a long green silk burial cloth, embroidered with a trident, and set it on the flames. They were burning my shroud.

Thalia turned to face the audience. She was trying to keep her face passive, but I could tell she'd been crying from the puffiness of her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Then somebody walked out of the crowd. She was the last person I expected to be there, but then again, we were friends for two years.

"Thalia wants to say that Percy was probably the bravest person she's ever met and..." Thalia and Annabeth looked up to the back of the amphitheatre and locked eyes with me.

"You!" Thalia snarled, looking beyond pissed.

Heads turned and people gasped.

"Surprise?" I timidly said.

"Percy!" Beckendorf grinned. A bunch of other kids crowded around me and clapped me on the back. I heard a few curses from the Ares cabin, but Clarisse just rolled her eyes, like she couldn't believe I'd had the nerve to survive. With the expression she gave me next, I knew she cared, even if only a slight bit. Chiron cantered over and everyone made way for him.

"Well," he sighed with obvious relief. "I don't believe I've ever been happier to see a camper return. But you must tell me-"

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" Thalia interrupted. Annabeth was just ahead of her, shoving aside the other campers.

Annabeth came up to me and slapped me on my right cheek, but hugged me right after. Thalia was right after. She slapped me as well, except with electricity. My left cheek buzzed with excitement as I got shocked.

I heard some of the campers chuckle at the fact that I just got slapped by two girls on opposite cheeks.

"Ow. That hurt, Thals," I said playfully.

Thalia grinned and leaned up toward me. I was expecting a kiss, but instead, I got another slap to the face.

"That's for going missing for two weeks," she snapped fiercely. "But this is for being you." She reached up behind my head and pulled me in for a kiss.

Everything was deathly silent. We broke apart and Thalia hugged me.

"I thought you were dead, Kelp Face," Thalia said.

I averted my gaze from the grinning and shocked faces of other campers...especially Annabeth. She was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"I'm sorry," I apologized uncertainly. "I got lost."

"LOST?" Thalia pushed me away. "Two weeks, Percy? Where in the world-"

"Thalia," Chiron interrupted. "Perhaps we should discuss this somewhere more private, shall we? The rest of you, back to your normal activities!"

Without waiting for us to protest, he picked up Thalia and me as easily as if we were kittens, slung us both on his back, and galloped off toward the Big House with Annabeth hot on our heels.

* * *

I didn't tell them the whole story. I just couldn't bring myself to talk about Calypso. I explained how I'd caused the explosion at Mount St. Helens and gotten blasted out of the volcano. I told them I'd been marooned on an island. Then Hephaestus had found me and told me I could leave. A magic raft had carried me back to camp.

All that was true, but as I said it my palms felt sweaty.

"You've been gone two weeks." Thalia's voice was happier now, but she still looked a little uncertain. "Where I got knocked out by the explosion-"

"What?" I exclaimed. I felt guilty for ever hurting Thalia.

She saw the concern in my eye, and hastily responded, "No, no, no. I'm all right."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded.

"Okay. Anyway, I figured out how to get through the Labyrinth. I talked to Hephaestus."

"He told you the answer?"

"Well, he sort of told me that I already knew. And I do. I understand now."

I told them my idea.

Thalia's eyes shined. "Percy, that's brilliant." She glanced down at my hand. "But her number is gone."

I blushed. "Well, I kinda memorized it by accident."

Thalia narrowed her eyes.

Chiron sat back in his wheelchair and stroked his beard. "Going back to the more important topic, he said, "there is precedent. Theseus had the help of Ariadne. Harriet Tubman, daughter of Hermes, used many mortals on her Underground Railroad for just this reason."

"Well, that's perfect," I said. "Let's go."

Thalia must've caught the nervous tone in my voice. "What's wrong, Percy?"

"Nothing."

Thalia's eyes narrowed even further. "Where have you been for these past two weeks?"

"I told you, on an island," I replied.

"By yourself?" Thalia inquired.

"Yes," I lied.

"And you healed yourself," Annabeth eyed me skeptically.

I glared at her. She was definitely not helping. Then Thalia's eyes widened. She turned toward me with anger and jealousy in her eyes.

"So my dreams were right," she said. "You were on that island with that _girl_. And you lied to me about it."

"Thalia-"

"Save it. Just call your friend and let's meet up with her."

"Thalia-"

"I said _SAVE IT_," she snapped. Thalia walked out the door with sloping shoulders and a trail of water droplets following her.

I stared at the doorway. I felt like hitting something.

"Where were you?" Annabeth asked. Her eyes swirled like a storm, practically eating you up, waiting for answers. Then she gasped. "Not there. Oh, man. You really messed up big time. I'll go talk to Thalia, and try to calm her down."

I stared morosely at the ground.

"Don't worry, Percy," Chiron said. "She will calm down. She's just jealous, my boy."

"I hate Aphrodite." I slammed my fists on the table.

Chiron shook his head. "In the morning I will have Argus take the two of you into Manhattan. You might want to stop by your mother's, Percy. She is...understandably distraught."

My heart skipped a beat. All that time on Calypso's island, I'd never even thought how my mom would be feeling. She'd think I was dead. She'd be devastated. What was wrong with me that I hadn't even considered that?

"Chiron," I said, "what about Grover and Tyson? Do you think—"

"I don't know, my boy." Chiron gazed into the empty fireplace. "Juniper is quite distressed. All her branches are turning yellow. The Council of Cloven Elders had revoked Grover's searcher license _in absentia_. Assuming he comes back alive, they will force him into a shameful exile." He sighed.

"Grover and Tyson are very resourceful, however. We can still hope."

"I shouldn't have let them run off."

"Grover has his own destiny, and Tyson was brave to follow him. You would know if Grover was in mortal danger, don't you think?"

"I suppose. The empathy link. But—"

"There is something else I should tell you, Percy," he said. "Actually two unpleasant things."

"Great."

"Chris Rodriguez, our guest…"

I remembered what I'd seen in the basement, Clarisse trying to talk to him while he babbled about the Labyrinth. "Is he dead?"

"Not yet," Chiron said grimly. "But he's much worse. He's in the infirmary now, too weak to move. I had to order Clarisse back to her regular schedule, because she was at his bedside constantly. He doesn't respond to anything. He won't take food or drink. None of my medicines help. He has simply lost the will to live."

I shuddered. Despite all the run-ins I'd had with Clarisse, I felt horrible for her. She'd tried so hard to help him. And now that I'd been in the Labyrinth, I could understand why it had been so easy for the ghost of Minos to drive Chris mad. If I'd been wandering around down there alone, without my friends to help, I'd never have made it out.

"I'm sorry to say," Chiron continued, "the other news is less pleasant still. Quintus has disappeared."

"Disappeared? How?"

"Three nights ago he slipped into the Labyrinth. Juniper watched him go. It appears you may have been right about him."

"He's a spy for Luke." I told Chiron about the Triple G Ranch—how Quintus had bought his scorpions there and Geryon had been supplying Kronos' army. "It can't be a coincidence."

Chiron sighed heavily. "So many betrayals. I had hoped Quintus would prove a friend. It seems my judgment was bad."

"What about Mrs. O'Leary?" I asked.

"The hellhound is still in the arena. It won't let anyone approach. I did not have the heart to force it into a cage…or destroy it."

"Quintus wouldn't just leave her."

"As I said, Percy, we seem to have been wrong about him. Now, you should prepare yourself for the morning. You and Annabeth still have much to do."

I left him in his wheelchair, staring sadly into the fireplace. I wondered how many times he'd sat here, waiting for heroes that never came back.

* * *

Before dinner I stopped by the sword arena. Sure enough, Mrs. O'Leary was curled up in an enormous black furry mound in the middle of the stadium, chewing half-heartedly on the head of a warrior dummy.

When she saw me, she barked and came bounding toward me. I thought I was dead meat. I just had time to say, "Whoa!" before she bowled me over and started licking my face. Now usually, being the son of Poseidon and all, I only get wet if I want to, but my powers apparently did not extend to dog saliva, because I got a pretty good bath.

"Whoa, girl!" I yelled. "Can't breathe. Lemme up!"

Eventually I managed to get her off me. I scratched her ears and found her an extra-gigantic dog biscuit.

"Where's your master?" I asked her. "How could he just leave you, huh?"

She whimpered like she wanted to know that, too. I was ready to believe Quintus was an enemy, but still I couldn't understand why he'd leave Mrs. O'Leary behind. If there was one thing I was sure of, it was that he really cared for his megadog.

I was thinking about that and toweling the dog spit off my face when a girl's voice said, "You're lucky she didn't bite your head off."

Clarisse was standing at the other end of the arena with her sword and shield. "Came here to practice yesterday," she grumbled. "Dog tried to chew me up."

"She's an intelligent dog," I joked.

"Funny."

She walked toward us. Mrs. O'Leary growled, but I patted her on the head and calmed her down.

"Stupid hellhound," Clarisse said. "Not going to keep me from practicing."

"I heard about Chris," I said. "I'm sorry."

Clarisse paced a circle around the arena. When she came to the nearest dummy, she attacked viciously, chopping its head off with a single blow and driving her sword through its guts. She pulled the sword out and kept walking.

"Yeah, well. Sometimes things go wrong." Her voice was shaky. "Heroes get hurt. They…they die, and the monsters just keep coming back."

She picked up a javelin and threw it across the arena. It nailed a dummy straight between the eyeholes of its helmet.

She had called Chris a hero, like he had never gone over to the Titan's side. It reminded me of the way Annabeth used to talk about Luke. I decided not to bring that up. But then again, Chris didn't deserve to be driven crazy. Luke _definitely_deserved to die after being pushed off that cliff.

"Chris was brave," I said. "I hope he gets better."

She glared at me as if I were her next target. Mrs. O'Leary growled.

"Do me a favor," Clarisse told me.

"Yeah, sure."

"If you find Daedalus, don't trust him. Don't ask him for help. Just kill him."

"Clarisse—"

"Because anybody who can make something like the Labyrinth, Percy? That person is evil. Plain evil."

For a second she reminded me of Eurytion the cowherd, her much older half brother. She had the same hard look in her eyes, as if she'd been used for the past two thousand years and was getting tired of it. She sheathed her sword. "Practice time is over. From now on, it's for real."

I nodded and patted Mrs. O'Leary's head, Clarisse's words echoing in my head.

* * *

That night I slept in my own bunk, and for the first time since Calypso's Island, dreams found me.

I was in a king's courtroom—a big white chamber with marble columns and a wooden throne. Sitting on it was a plump guy with curly red hair and a crown of laurels. At his side stood three girls who looked like his daughters.

They all had his red hair and were dressed in blue robes.

The doors creaked open and a herald announced, "Minos, King of Crete!"

I tensed, but the man on the throne just smiled at his daughters. "I can't wait to see the expression on his face."

Minos, the royal creep himself, swept into the room. He was so tall and serious he made the other king look silly. Minos' pointed beard had gone gray. He looked thinner than the last time I'd dreamed of him, and his sandals were splattered with mud, but the same cruel light shined in his eyes.

He bowed stiffly to the man on the throne. "King Cocalus. I understand you have solved my little riddle?"

Cocalus smiled. "Hardly little, Minos. Especially when you advertise across the world that you are willing to pay a thousand gold talents to the one who can solve it. Is the offer genuine?"

Minos clapped his hands. Two buff guards walked in, struggling with a big wooden crate. They set it at Cocalus' feet and opened it. Stacks of gold bars glittered. It had to be worth like a gazillion dollars.

Cocalus whistled appreciatively. "You must have bankrupted your kingdom for such a reward, my friend."

"That is not your concern."

Cocalus shrugged. "The riddle was quite simple, really. One of my retainers solved it."

"Father," one of the girls warned. She looked like the oldest—a little taller than her sisters.

Cocalus ignored her. He took a spiral seashell from the folds of his robe. A silver string had been threaded through it, so it hung like a huge bead on a necklace.

Minos stepped forward and took the shell. "One of your retainers, you say? How did he thread the string without breaking the shell?"

"He used an ant, if you can believe it. Tied a silk string to the little creature and coaxed it through the shell by putting honey at the far end."

"Ingenious man," Minos said.

"Oh, indeed. My daughters' tutor. They are quite fond of him."

Minos' eyes turned cold. "I would be careful of that."

I wanted to warn Cocalus: _Don't trust this guy! Throw him in the dungeon with some man-eating lions or something!_But the redheaded king just chuckled. "Not to worry, Minos. My daughters are wise beyond their years. Now, about my gold—"

"Yes," Minos said. "But you see the gold is for the man who solved the riddle. And there can be only one such man. You are harboring Daedalus."

Cocalus shifted uncomfortably on his throne. "How is that you know his name?"

"He is a thief," Minos said. "He once worked in my court, Cocalus. He turned my own daughter against me. He helped a usurper make a fool of me in my own palace. And then he escaped justice. I have been pursuing him for ten years."

"I knew nothing of this. But I have offered the man my protection. He has been a most useful—"

"I offer you a choice," Minos said. "Turn over the fugitive to me, and this gold is yours. Or risk making me your enemy. You do not want Crete as your enemy."

Cocalus paled. I thought it was stupid for him to look so scared in the middle of his own throne room. He should've summoned his army or something. Minos only had two guards. But Cocalus just sat there sweating on his throne.

"Father," his oldest daughter said, "you can't—"

"Silence, Aelia." Cocalus twisted his beard. He looked again at the glittering gold. "This pains me, Minos. The gods do not love a man who breaks his oath of hospitality."

"The gods do not love those who harbor criminals, either."

Cocalus nodded. "Very well. You shall have your man in chains."

"Father!" Aelia said again. Then she caught herself, and changed her voice to a sweeter tone. "At—at least let us feast our guest first. After his long journey, he should be treated to a hot bath, new clothes, and a decent meal. I would be honored to draw the bath myself."

She smiled prettily at Minos, and the old king grunted. "I suppose a bath would not be amiss." He looked at Cocalus. "I will see you at dinner, my lord. With the prisoner."

"This way, Your Majesty," said Aelia. She and her sisters led Minos out of the chamber.

I followed them into a bath chamber decorated with mosaic tiles. Steam filled the air. A running-water faucet poured hot water into the tub. Aelia and her sisters filled it with rose petals and something that must've been Ancient Greek Mr. Bubble, because soon the water was covered with multi-colored foam. The girls turned aside as Minos dropped his roves and  
slipped into the bath.

"Ahh." He smiled. "An excellent bath. Thank you, my dears. The journey has been long indeed."

"You have been chasing your prey ten years, my lord?" Aelia asked, batting her eyelashes. "You must be very determined."

"I never forget a debt." Minos grinned. "Your father was wise to agree to my demands."

"Oh, indeed, my lord!" Aelia said. I thought she was laying on the flattery pretty thick, but the old guy was eating it up. Aelia's sisters trickled scented oil over the king's head.

"You know, my lord," Aelia said, "Daedalus thought you would come. He thought the riddle might be a trap, but he couldn't resist solving it."

Minos frowned. "Daedalus spoke to you about me?"

"Yes, my lord."

"He is a bad man, princess. My own daughter fell under his spell. Do not listen to him."

"He is a genius," Aelia said. "And he believes a woman is just as smart as a man. He was the first to ever teach us as if we had minds of our own. Perhaps your daughter felt the same way."

Minos tried to sit up, but Aelia's sisters pushed him back into the water. Aelia came up behind him. She held three tiny orbs in her palm. At first I thought they were bath beads. But she threw them in the water and the beads sprouted bronze threads that began wrapping around the king, tying him up at the ankles, binding his wrists to his sides, circling his neck. Even though I hated Minos, it was pretty horrible to watch. He thrashed and cried out, but  
the girls were much stronger. Soon he was helpless, lying in the bath with his chin just above the water. The bronze strands were still wrapping around him like a cocoon, tightening across his body.

"What do you want?" Minos demanded. "Why do you do this?"

Aelia smiled. "Daedalus has been kind to us, Your Majesty. And I do not like you threatening our father."

"You tell Daedalus," Minos growled. "You tell him I will hound him even after death! If there is any justice in the Underworld, my soul will haunt him for eternity!"

"Brave words, Your Majesty," Aelia said. "I wish you luck finding your justice in the Underworld."

And with that, the bronze threads wrapped around Minos' face, making him a bronze mummy.

The door of the bathhouse opened. Daedalus stepped in, carrying a traveler's bag.

He'd trimmed his hair short. His beard was pure white. He looked frail and sad, but he reached down and touched the mummy's forehead. The threads unraveled and sank to the bottom of the tub. There was nothing inside them. It was as if King Minos had just dissolved.

"A painless death," Daedalus mused. "More than he deserved. Thank you, my princesses."

Aelia hugged him. "You cannot stay here, teacher. When our father finds out—"

"Yes," Daedalus said. "I fear I have brought you trouble."

"Oh, do not worry for us. Father will be happy enough taking that old man's gold. And Crete is a very long way away. But he will blame you for Minos' death. You must flee to somewhere safe."

"Somewhere safe," the old man repeated. "For years I have fled from kingdom to kingdom, looking for somewhere safe. I fear Minos told the truth. Death will not stop him from hounding me. There is no place under the sun that will harbor me, once word of this crime gets out."

"Then where will you go?" Aelia said.

"A place I swore never to enter again," Daedalus said. "My prison may be my only sanctuary."

"I do not understand," Aelia said.

"It's best you did not."

"But what of the Underworld?" one of her sisters asked. "Terrible judgment will await you! Every man must die."

"Perhaps," Daedalus said. Then he brought a scroll from his traveling bag—the same scroll I'd seen in my last dream, with his nephews notes. "Or perhaps not."

He patted Aelia's shoulder, then blessed her and her sisters. He looked down once more at the coppery threads glinting in the bottom of the bath.

"Find me if you dare, king of the ghosts."

He turned toward the mosaic wall and touched a tile. A glowing mark appeared—a Greek delta—and the wall slid aside. The princesses gasped.

"You never told us of secret passages!" Aelia said. "You have been busy."

"The Labyrinth has been busy," Daedalus corrected. "Do not try to follow me, my dears, if you value your sanity."

Then my dream shifted. I was underground in a stone chamber. Luke and another half-blood warrior were studying a map by flashlight.

Luke cursed. "It should've been the last turn." He crumpled up the map and tossed it aside.

"Sir!" his companion protested.

"Maps are useless here," Luke said. "Don't worry. I'll find it."

"Sir, is it true that the larger the group—"

"The more likely you get lost? Yes, that's true. Why do you think we sent out solo explorers to begin with? But don't worry. As soon we have the thread, we can lead the vanguard through."

"But how will we get the thread?"

Luke stood, flexing his fingers. "Oh, Quintus will come through. All we have to do is reach the arena, and it's at the juncture. Impossible to get anywhere without passing it. That's why we must have a truce with its master. We just have to stay alive until—"

"Sir!" a new voice came from the corridor. Another guy in Greek armor ran forward, carrying a torch. "The dracaenae found a half-blood!"

Luke scowled. "Alone? Wandering the maze?"

"Yes, sir! You'd better come quick. They're in the next chamber. They've got him cornered."

"Who is it?"

"No one I've ever seen before, sir."

Luke nodded. "A blessing from Kronos. We may be able to use this half-blood. Come!"

They ran down the corridor, and I woke with a start, staring into the dark. _A lone half-blood, wandering in the maze._It was a long time before I got to sleep again.

**Thalia's POV**

Annabeth left early the next morning. I sullenly packed my bag again and trudged to Half-Blood Hill.

I leaned against the tree and waited for Percy to appear. _Oh, poor Nico. He's left the ranch to head back to the maze. Hopefully he makes it out alive._

A few minutes later, Percy appeared. He and I didn't talk much in the van. Argus never spoke, probably because he had eyes all over his body, including- so I'd heard -at the tip of his tongue, and he didn't like to show that off.

"Bad dreams?" Percy asked at last.

I did my best to stay angry at him. "An Iris-message from Eurytion."

"Eurytion! Is something wrong with Nico?"

"He left the ranch last night, heading back into the maze. Nico was gone before he woke up. Orthus tracked his scent as far as the cattle guard. Eurytion said he'd been hearing Nico talk to himself the last few nights. Only now he thinks Nico was talking with the ghost again, Minos."

"He's in danger," Percy said.

"No kidding."

Percy continued. "I had this dream last night..." He told me about Luke, how he'd mentioned Quintus, and how his men had found a half-blood alone in the maze.

"That's very, very bad."

"So what do we do?"

"Well, it's a good thing we have Rachel, huh?"

* * *

It was Saturday, and traffic was heavy going into the city. We arrived at my mom's apartment around noon. When answer the door, she gave me a hug only a little less overwhelming than having a hellhound jump on you.

"I _told_them you were all right," my mom said, but she sounded like the weight of the sky had just been lifted off her shoulders. I've seen people hold the sky up in person, and they didn't look so good.

She sat us down at the kitchen table and insisted on feeding us her special blue-chocolate-chip cookies while we caught her up on the quest. Percy tried to water down the frightening parts (which was pretty much everything, but somehow, in his own special way, Percy made it sound more dangerous.

When Percy got to the part about Geryon and the stables, his mom pretended like she was going to strangle him. "I can't get him to clean his room, but he'll clean a hundred tons of horse manure out of some monster's stables?"

I laughed a little bit because I was in a depressed mood and it was pretty funny.

"So," Sally said when Percy finished his story, "you wrecked Alcatraz Island, made Mount St. Helens explode, and displaced half a million people, but at least you're safe." That's Sally for you, always looking on the bright side.

"Yep," Percy agreed. "That pretty much covers it."

"Percy," Sally said. "Paul wanted to talk to you."

"Why?" he replied. "Thalia just used the Mist to manipulate what he thought and saw."

"I...I don't know," she replied. "There's something different about him. Like a bubbling conscience inside that's nagging him to believe one thing. I think that Paul may be partially immune to the Mist."

Percy and I stayed silent. _How can that be possible? I've never known anyone who can only partially get through the Mist._

"He's a smart man as well. He's starting to think something is different about you, Percy. And since you used the Mist on him only, he's having a hard time explaining it to the other teachers. Another teacher saw you jump through the window, which looks bad."

I stared at Percy sympathetically. Once, one of my mom's boyfriends almost caught on to the fact that I was abnormal, different from the others.

"I'll talk to him," Percy promised. "After we're done with the quest. I'll even tell him the truth if you want."

His mom put her hand on his shoulder. "You would do that?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, he'll think we're crazy."

"He already thinks that."

"Then there's nothing to lose."

"Thank you, Percy. I'll tell him you'll be home..." She frowned. "When? What happens now?"

I broke my cookie in half. "Percy has a plan."

He told his mom about Rachel.

Sally nodded slowly. "It sounds very dangerous. But it might work."

"You have the same abilities, don't you?" Percy asked. "You can see through the Mist."

His mom sighed. "Not so much now. When I was younger it was easier. But yes, I've always been able to see more than was good for me. It's one of the things that caught your father's attention, when we first met. Just be careful. Promise me you'll be safe."

"We'll try, Sally," I said. "Keeping your son safe is a big job, though." I munched on a cookie and stared out the window. I could sense Percy's guilt expression even though I wasn't looking.

"What's going on with you two? What happened?"

Neither of us said anything.

"I see," Sally said mysteriously. I turned toward her and saw the triumphant look in her eyes. I frowned. It was so unfair that I couldn't figure it out _by_ _myself_. Annabeth figured it out, because she's Athena's daughter. Sally figured it out, just because she knows Greek "mythology" very well and was very smart. I know I exclaimed about the girl on the island, but I was just guessing. What hurt me the most was he didn't tell me himself.

"Well, remember," she said, "Grover and Tyson are counting on you two."

"I know," Percy and I said at the same time.

Percy's mom smiled. "Percy, you'd better use the phone in the hall. Good luck."

As soon as Percy left, Sally turned to me. "Listen, dear. It's better for you to learn now, rather than later-"

"No, Ms. Jackson," I said formally. "I want him to tell me. That's the real reason I'm frustrated. I honestly know where he's gone. I want him to admit it..." I went into Percy-land. Yes, I admit it. I, Thalia, daughter of Zeus, get lovey-dovey around Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon.

**Percy's POV**

We arranged a meeting in Times Square. We found Rachel Elizabeth Dare in front of the Marriott Marquis, and she was completely painted gold.

I mean, her face, her hair, her clothes—everything. She looked like she'd been touched by King Midas. She was standing like a statue with five other kids all painted metallic—copper, bronze, silver. They were frozen in different poses while tourists hustled past or stopped to stare. Some passerby threw money at the tarp on the sidewalk.

The sign at Rachel's feet said, URBAN ART FOR KIDS, DONATIONS APPRECIATED.

Thalia and I stood there for like five minutes, staring at Rachel, but if she noticed us she didn't let on. She didn't move or even blink that I could see. Being ADHD and all, I could not have done that. Standing still that long would've driven me crazy. It was weird to see Rachel in gold, too. She looked like a statue of somebody famous, an actress or something. Only her eyes were normal green.

I was debating in my head whether or not to tell Thalia about where I was situated for the two weeks I was gone. After a couple of minutes, I pulled Thalia to the side to tell her.

"What are you doing, Percy?" she snapped.

"Look, Thalia. This isn't going to be easy, but I have to tell you something vitally important," I said.

She was caught off guard. She froze momentarily, and I saw anger...and relief? Then she added sarcastically, "Vitally? I didn't think you knew that word."

I didn't roll my eyes. This was serious. "Thalia. I was on an island, with a girl, just like you said you saw." She glanced at me uncertainly. "Her name was Calypso." Thalia gasped and her eyes widened.

"I thought...but Calypso..." Thalia muttered to herself. "Not good-"

"Thalia!"

Her eyes snapped back up at me.

"Listen, Thalia. I'm really sorry about getting stuck on an island with a beautiful girl-"

"Beautiful?" Thalia threatened. "Percy. It's not _where_you were that worried me. It's the fact that you didn't tell me. And even more so, you lied to my face!" Anger seemed to boil up in her body. "If I didn't have those dreams, can you imagine how mad I would be? For lying to my face and pretending to have been on some random island?"

I dropped my eyes and Thalia's gaze softened. "Just think of it this way, Percy. If there was an alternate universe where you and I never liked each other, and I joined the Hunters, and Annabeth stayed with you. You liked her, but all the hints she gave were that she liked Luke, still. Your fatal flaw wasn't personal loyalty and the last sentence of the prophecy was _And lose a loved one to worse than death_. She kept it hidden from you until the very end. How would you feel then?"

I clenched my fist just thinking about it. Then I looked up toward Rachel. Next to Rachel, a kid in silver stood in a pose like he was lecturing the crowd. Rachel unfroze and stepped off the tarp.

"Hey, Percy. Hey, Thalia." She grinned. "Good timing! Let's get some coffee."

We walked down to a place called the Java Moose on West 43rd. Rachel ordered an Espresso Extreme, the kind of stuff Grover would like. Thalia got black coffee, and I got a fruit smoothie. We sat at a table right under the stuffed moose. Nobody even looked twice at Rachel in her golden outfit.

"So," she said, "how's it going?"

"Okay," I responded, still feeling a little bit down after Thalia's rant.

"Fine," Thalia replied sharply. I winced. I'd be getting the cold shoulder from her for a while now. She could possibly rival Nico with her current attitude...and Nico knows how to hold a grudge.

"Why are you dressed in gold?" I asked.

"Not usually," Rachel said. "We're raising money for our group. We do volunteer art projects for elementary kids 'cause they're cutting art from the schools, you know? We do this once a month, take in about five hundred dollars on a good weekend. But I'm guessing you don't want to talk about that."

"Yeah..." I trailed off. "Look. I'm sorry about the band room. I hope they didn't kick you out or anything."

"Nah. They asked me a lot of questions about you. I played dumb."

"Maybe you could be a famous actress," Thalia joked.

"Nah." Rachel waved her hand. "I'm more of an artist person."

"Okay, okay. Back to the topic at hand," I said. "Rachel, we've got a problem. And we need your help."

Rachel raised an eyebrow.

I told Rachel about the Labyrinth, and how we needed to find Daedalus. I told her what had happened the last few times we'd gone in.

"So you want me to guide you," she said. "Through a place I've never been."

"You can see through the Mist," I said. "Just like Ariadne. I'm betting you can see the right path. The Labyrinth won't be able to fool you as easily."

"And if you're wrong?"

"Then we'll get lost. Either way, it'll be dangerous. Very, very dangerous."

"I could die?"

"Yeah."

"I thought you said monsters don't care about mortals. That sword of yours—"

"Yeah," I said. "Celestial bronze doesn't hurt mortals. Most monsters would ignore you. But Luke…he doesn't care. He'll use mortals, demigods, monsters, whatever. And he'll kill anyone who gets in his way."

"Nice guy," Rachel said.

"He's also a stupid, backstabbing, traitor," Thalia added. This time, _I_ raised an eyebrow. "What? He _is_ a stupid, backstabbing, traitor even if he _was_my friend."

"Point taken."

Rachel coughed purposefully and we turned our attention back on her. "I'm in."

Thalia and I blinked. I hadn't figured it would be so easy. "Are you sure?"

"Hey, my summer was going to be boring. This is the best offer I've gotten yet. So what do I look for?"

"We have to find an entrance to the Labyrinth," Thalia said. "There's an entrance at Camp Half-Blood, but you can't go there. It's off-limits to mortals."

Rachel nodded. "Okay. What does an entrance to the Labyrinth look like?"

"It could be anything," Thalia said. "Except that it has to have the mark of Daedalus on it. A Greek delta, glowing in blue."

"Like this?" Rachel drew the symbol Delta in water on our table.

I looked at Rachel astonished. "You know Greek?"

"No," Rachel said. She pulled a big blue plastic hairbrush from her pocket and started brushing the gold out of her hair. "Let me get changed. You'd better come with me to the Marriott."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because there's an entrance like that in the hotel basement, where we store our costumes. It's got the mark of Daedalus."

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear. It would be awesome if you guys could tell what mistakes there are so that I can fix them to make the story clearer. Thanks.**

**Hopefully you enjoyed this. Please review or private message me for suggestions and opinions.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**Check out my other stories. I recommend not viewing the 'Flash to the Past: Reading the Titan's Curse' one because it is discontinued.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**A HEADS UP: Updating will be more spaced out from now on because of the tons of work I have to do. Peace.**

**Read the "Titan's Curse: Perlia Style" story first to get a background of what is happening.**


	15. I Meet My Brother and Great Uncle

**Hey everyone,**

**Would all of you readers be so kind as to go to my profile page and vote on the poll for my other story _On the Run_. I just wanted to know who you want Percy to eventually gain a crush on in the story. Thanks so much for those who do vote.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**

**Disclaimer: I'm not Rick Riordan. I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I don't own the story plot.**

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Chapter 15: I Meet My Brother and Great Uncle

**Percy's POV**

The metal door was half hidden behind a laundry bin, full of dirty hotel towels. I didn't see anything strange about it, but Rachel showed me where to look, and I recognized the faint blue symbol etched in the metal.

"Wow. It looks old," Thalia said.

"I tried to open it once," Rachel said, "just out of curiosity. It's rusted shut."

"I don't think so." Thalia stepped forward. "Maybe it doesn't work for mortals."

Thalia placed her hand on the mark and it glowed blue. The metal door unsealed and creaked open, revealing a dark staircase leading down.

"Wow." Rachel looked calm, but I couldn't tell if she was pretending or not. She'd changed into a ratty Museum of Modern Art T-shirt and her regular marker-colored jeans, her blue plastic hairbrush sticking out of her pocket. Her red hair was tied back, but she still had flecks of gold in it, and traces of the gold glittered on her face. "You were right. So...after you?"

"You're the guide," Thalia smirked. "Lead on."

The stairs led down to a large brick tunnel. It was so dark I couldn't see two feet in front of us.

Thalia grabbed the flashlights. "Just a sec." She charged up for an electric shock, and let it loose. A large blue flash...well, _flashed_brightly for a split second before dying down. Rachel almost had a heart attack.

"Whoa! What in the world?"

"Daughter of Zeus," Thalia explained.

"At least we have flashlights." I turned them on and Rachel yelped once again.

A skeleton was grinning at us. It wasn't human. It was huge, for one thing- at least ten feet tall. It had been strung up, chained by its wrists and ankles so it made a kind of giant X over the tunnel. But what really sent shivers down my spine was the single black eye socket in the center of its skull.

"A Cyclops," Thalia said. "I don't think it's...anybody we know."

_It wasn't Tyson_, she meant. But that didn't make me feel much better. I still felt like it had been put here as a warning. Whatever could kill a grown Cyclops, I didn't want to meet.

Rachel swallowed. "You have a friend who's a Cyclops?"

"Tyson," I said. "My half brother."

"Your _half brother_."

"Hopefully we'll find him down here," I said. "And Grover. He's a satyr."

"Oh." Her voice was small. "Well then, we'd better keep moving."

She stepped under the skeleton's left arm and kept walking. Thalia and I exchanged looks. Thalia shrugged. We followed Rachel deeper into the maze.

After fifty feet we came to a crossroads. Ahead, the brick tunnel continued. To the right, the walls were made of ancient marble slabs. To the left, the tunnel was dirt and tree roots.

I pointed left. "That looks like the tunnel Tyson and Grover took."

Thalia glanced right. "There's the ancient architecture. Malcolm said to follow that, but I have a feeling that we're going to get lost if we go that way."

"Or a trap," Rachel put in. "There's a trap about twenty feet down. I don't like the way those tree roots are moving like feelers. Straight is the way to go. But the main reason is because there's a brightness there."

I looked down. There was nothing expect well-worn bricks and mud.

Thalia and I glanced at each other and had a conversation with our eyes.

_Do you trust her?_I asked.

_It's hard to tell. But it's clear that she can see through the Mist_, she said.

We nodded at each other. "Okay. Forward."

"Creepy." Rachel was staring at us, most likely freaked out by how we could read each other so well. Nevertheless, she led on. Together we kept walking down the brick corridor. It twisted and turned, but there were no more side tunnels. We seemed to be angling down, heading deeper underground.

"No traps?" I asked anxiously.

"Nothing." Rachel knit her eyebrows. "Should it be this easy?"

"I don't know," I said. "It never was before."

"So, Rachel," Thalia said, trying to start a conversation, "where are you from?"

"Brooklyn," she said.

"Aren't your parents going to be worried if you're out late?"

Rachel exhaled. "Not likely. I could be gone a week and they'd never notice."

"Why not?" I've always had a good mom so I never really understood about having trouble with parents. Thalia on the other hand dealt with an alcoholic, sex addicted mother for years. She could _kind of _relate.

Before Rachel could answer, there was a creaking noise in front of us, like huge doors opening.

"What was that?" Thalia asked.

"I don't know," Rachel said. "Metal hinges."

"I mean, _what is it?_"

Then I heard heavy footsteps shaking the corridor- coming toward us.

"Run?" I asked.

"Run," Rachel agreed.

We turned and fled the way we'd come, but we didn't make it twenty feet before we ran straight into some old friends. Two _dracaenae_—snake women in Greek armor—leveled their javelins at our chests. Standing between them was Kelli, the _empousa_cheerleader.

"Well, well," Kelli said.

I uncapped Riptide, and Thalia tapped her bracelet and pulled out her spear; but before my sword was even out of pen form, Kelli pounced on Rachel. Her hand turned into a claw and she spun Rachel around, holding her tight with her talons at Rachel's neck.

"Taking your little mortal pet for a walk?" Kelli asked me. "They're such fragile things. So easy to break!"

Behind us, the footsteps came closer. A huge form appeared out of the gloom—an eight-foot-tall Laistrygonian giant with red eyes and fangs.

The giant licked his lips when he saw us. "Can I eat them?"

"No," Kelli said. "Your master will want these. They will provide a great deal of entertainment." She smiled at me. "Now march, half-bloods. Or you all die here, starting with the mortal girl."

HORIZONTAL

It was pretty much my worst nightmare. And believe me, I've had plenty of nightmares. We were marched down the tunnel, flanked by _dracaenae_, with Kelli and the giant in back, just in case we tried to run for it. Nobody seemed to worry about us running forward. That was the direction they wanted us to go.

Up ahead I could see bronze doors. They were about ten feet tall, emblazoned with a pair of crossed swords. From behind them came a muffled roar, like from a crowd.

"Oh, yessssss," said the snake woman on my left. "You'll be very popular with our hossssst."

I'd never gotten to look at a dracaena up close before, and I wasn't real thrilled to have the opportunity. She would've had a beautiful face, except her tongue was forked and her eyes were yellow with black slits for pupils. She wore bronze armor that stopped at her waist. Below that, where her legs should've been, were two massive snake trunks, mottled bronze and green. She moved by a combination of slithering and walking, as if she were on  
living skis.

"Who's your host?" I asked.

She hissed, which might have been a laugh. "Oh, you'll sssssee. You'll get along furiousssly. He'ssss your brother, after all."

"My what?" Immediately I thought of Tyson, but that was impossible. What was she talking about?

The giant pushed past us and opened the doors. He picked up Thalia by her jacket and said, "You stay here."

"Hey!" she protested, but the giant completely restricted her so she couldn't shock the giant to death.

Kelli laughed. She still had her claws at Rachel's neck. "Go on, Percy. Entertain us. We'll wait here with your friends to make sure you behave with Gaea's son."

I looked at Rachel. "I'm sorry. I'll get you out of this."

She nodded as much as she could with a demon at her throat. "That would be nice."

The _dracaenae_prodded me toward the doorway at javelin-point, and I walked out onto the floor of an arena.

HORIZONTAL

I guess it wasn't the largest arena I'd ever been in, but it seemed pretty spacious considering the whole place was underground. The dirt floor was circular, just big enough that you could drive a car around the rim if you pulled it really tight. In the center of the arena, a fight was going on between a giant and a centaur. The centaur looked panicked. He was galloping around his enemy, using sword and shield, while the giant swing a javelin the size of a telephone pole and the crowd cheered.

The first tier of seats was twelve feet above the arena floor. Plain stone benches wrapped all the way around, and every seat was full. There were giants, _dracaenae_, demigods, telekhines, and stranger things: bat-winged demons and creatures that seemed half human and half you name it—bird, reptile, insect, mammal.

But the creepiest things were the skulls. The arena was full of them. They ringed the edge of the railing. Three-foot-high piles of them decorated the steps between the benches. They grinned from pikes at the back of the stands and hung on chains from the ceiling like horrible chandeliers. Some of them looked very old—nothing but bleached-white bone. Others looked a lot fresher. I'm not going to describe them. Believe me, you don't want me to.

In the middle of all this, proudly displayed on the side of the spectator's wall, was something that made no sense to me—a green banner with the trident of Poseidon in the center. What was that doing in a horrible place like this?

Above the banner, sitting in a seat of honor, was an old enemy.

"Luke," I said.

I'm not sure he could hear me over the roar of the crowd, but he smiled coldly. He was wearing camouflage pants, a white T-shirt, and bronze breastplate, just like I'd seen in my dream. But he still wasn't wearing his sword, which I thought was strange. Next to him sat the largest giant I'd ever seen, much larger than the one on the floor fighting the centaur. The giant next to Luke must've been fifteen feet tall, easy, and so wide he took up three seats. He wore only a loincloth, like a sumo wrestler. His skin was dark red and tattooed with blue wave designs. I figured he must be Luke's new bodyguard or something.

There was a cry from the arena floor, and I jumped back as the centaur crashed to the dirt beside me.

He met my eyes pleadingly. "Help!"

I reached for my sword, but it had been taken from me and hadn't reappeared in my pocket yet.

The centaur struggled to get up as the giant approached, his javelin ready.

A taloned hand gripped my shoulder. "If you value your friendsss' livesss," my dracaena guard said, "you won't interfere. This isssn't your fight. Wait your turn."

The centaur couldn't get up. One of his legs was broken. The giant put his huge foot on the horseman's chest and raised the javelin. He looked up at Luke. The crowd cheered, "DEATH! DEATH!"

Luke didn't do anything, but the tattooed sumo dude sitting next to him arose. He smiled down at the centaur, who was whimpering, "Please! No!"

Then the sumo dude held out his hand and gave the _thumbs down_sign.

I closed my eyes as the gladiator giant thrust his javelin. When I looked again, the centaur was gone, disintegrated to ashes. All that was left was a single hoof, which the giant took up as a trophy and showed the crowd. They roared their approval.

A gate opened at the opposite end of the stadium and the giant marched out in triumph.

In the stands, the sumo dude raised his hands for silence.

"Good entertainment!" he bellowed. "But nothing I haven't seen before. What else do you have, Luke, Son of Hermes?"

Luke's jaw tightened. I could tell he didn't like being called son of Hermes. He hated his father. But he rose calmly to his feet. His eyes glittered. In fact, he seemed to be in a pretty good mood.

"Lord Antaeus," Luke said, loud enough for the crowd to hear. "You have been an excellent host! We would be happy to amuse you, to repay the favor of passing through your territory."

"A favor I have not yet granted," Antaeus growled. "I want entertainment!"

Luke bowed. "I believe I have something better than centaurs to fight in your arena now. I have a brother of yours." He pointed at me. "Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon."

The crowd began jeering at me and throwing stones, most of which I dodged, but one caught me on the cheek and made a good-sized cut.

Antaeus' eyes lit up. "A son of Poseidon? Then he should fight well! Or die well!"

"If his death pleases you," Luke said, "will you let our armies cross your territory?"

"Perhaps!" Antaeus said.

Luke didn't look too pleased about the "perhaps." He glared down at me, as if warning me that I'd better die in a really spectacular way or I'd be in big trouble.

"Luke!" Thalia growled. "I should've known you were here."

Luke seemed to notice her for the first time. He looked stunned for a moment. "Thalia?"

"Enough time for the females to fight afterward," Antaeus interrupted. "First, Percy Jackson, what weapons will you choose?"

The _dracaenae_pushed me into the middle of the arena.

I stared up at Antaeus. "How can you be a son of Poseidon?"

"I am his favorite son!" Antaeus boomed. "Behold, my temple to the Earthshaker, built from the skulls of all those I've killed in his name! Your skull shall join them!"

I stared in horror at all the skulls—hundreds of them—and the banner of Poseidon. How could this be a temple for my dad? My dad was a nice guy. He'd never ask me for a Father's Day card, much less somebody's skull.

"Plus, it helps that I am in mother's territory," he smiled. He looked like a wolf who was ready to tear me to shreds.

_With Gaea's son_, Kelli had said. The earth goddess. We were in the earth at the moment. Great. My brother has two godly parents. That's going to make him even harder to kill.

"You're crazy, Antaeus," I said. "If you think this is a good tribute, you know nothing about Poseidon."

The crowd screamed insults at me, but Antaeus raised his hand for silence.

"Weapons," he insisted, "And then we will see how you die. Will you have axes? Shields? Nets? Flamethrowers?"

"Just my sword," I said.

Laughter erupted from the monsters, but immediately Riptide appeared in my hands, and some of the voices in the crowd turned nervous. The bronze blade glowed with a faint light.

"Round one!" Antaeus announced. The gates opened, and a dracaena slithered out. She had a trident in one hand and a weighted net in the other—classic gladiator style. I'd trained against those weapons at camp for years.

She jabbed at me experimentally. I stepped away. She threw her net, hoping to tangle my sword hand, but I sidestepped easily, sliced her spear in half, and stabbed Riptide through a chink in her armor. With a painful wail, she vaporized into nothing, and the cheering of the crowd died.

"No!" Antaeus bellowed. "Too fast! You must wait for the kill. Only I give that order!"

I glanced over at Thalia and Rachel. I had to find a way to get them free, maybe distract their guards.

"Nice job, Percy." Luke smiled. "You've gotten better with the sword. I'll grant you that."

"Round two!" Antaeus yelled. "And slower this time! More entertainment! Wait for my call before killing anybody. OR ELSE!"

The gates opened again, and this time a young warrior came out. He was a little older than me, about sixteen. He had glossy black hair, and his left eye was covered with an eye patch. He was thin and wiry so his Greek armor hung on him loosely. He stabbed his sword into the dirt, adjusted his shield straps, and pulled on his horse hair helmet.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Ethan Nakamura," he said. "I have to kill you."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Hey!" a monster jeered from the stands. "Stop talking and fight already!"

The others took up the call.

"I have to prove myself," Ethan told me. "Only way to join up."

And with that he charged. Our swords met in mid air and the crowd roared. It didn't seem right. I didn't want to fight to entertain a bunch of monsters, but Ethan Nakamura wasn't giving me much choice.

He pressed forward. He was good. He'd never been at Camp Half-Blood, as far as I knew, but he'd been trained. He parried my strike and almost slammed me with his shield, but I jumped back. He slashed. I rolled to one side. We exchanged thrusts and parries, getting a feel for each other's fighting style. I tried to keep on Ethan's blind side, but it didn't help much. He'd apparently been fighting with only one eye for a long time, because he was excellent at guarding his left.

"Blood!" the monsters cried.

My opponent glanced up at the stands. That was his weakness, I realized. He needed to impress them. I didn't.

He yelled an angry battle cry and charged me, but I parried his blade and backed away, letting him come after me.

"Boo!" Antaeus said. "Stand and fight!"

Ethan pressed me, but I had no trouble defending, even without a shield. He was dressed for defense—heavy armor and shield—which made it very tiring to play offense. I was a softer target, but I also was lighter and faster.

The crowd went nuts, yelling complaints and throwing rocks. We'd been fighting for almost five minutes and there was no blood.

Finally Ethan made his mistake. He tried to jab at my stomach, and I locked his sword hilt in mine and twisted. His sword dropped into the dirt. Before he could recover, I slammed the butt of my sword into his helmet and pushed him down. His heavy armor helped me more than him. He fell on his back, dazed and tired. I put the tip of my sword on his chest.

"Get it over with," Ethan groaned.

I looked up at Antaeus. His red face was stony with displeasure, but he held up his hand and put it _thumbs down_.

"Forget it." I sheathed my sword.

"Don't be a fool," Ethan groaned. "They'll just kill us both."

I offered him my hand. Reluctantly, he took it. I helped him up.

"No one dishonors the games!" Antaeus bellowed. "Your heads shall both be tributes to Poseidon!"

I looked at Ethan. "When you see your chance, run." Then I turned back to Antaeus. "Why don't you fight me yourself? If you've got Dad's favor, come down here and prove it!"

The monsters grumbled in the stands. Antaeus looked around, and apparently realized he had no choice. He couldn't say no without looking like a coward.

"I am the greatest wrestler in the world, boy," he warned. "I have been wrestling since the first pankration!"

"Pankration?" I asked.

"He means fighting to the death," Ethan said. "No rules. No holds barred. It used to be an Olympic sport."

"Thanks for the tip," I said.

"Don't mention it."

Rachel was watching me with wide eyes. Thalia was still arguing with the Laistrygonian as his hand was still clamped over her mouth.

I pointed my sword at Antaeus. "Winner takes all! I win, we all go free. You win, we die. Swear upon the River Styx."

Antaeus laughed. "This shouldn't take long. I swear to your terms!" He leaped off the railing, into the arena.

"Good luck," Ethan told me. "You'll need it." Then he backed up quickly. Antaeus cracked his knuckles. He grinned, and I saw that even his teeth were etched in wave patterns, which must've made brushing after meals a real pain.

"Weapons?" he asked.

"I'll stick with my sword. You?"

He held up his huge hands and wiggled his fingers. "I don't need anything else! Master Luke, you will referee this one."

Luke smiled down at me. "With pleasure."

Antaeus lunged. I rolled under his legs and stabbed him in the back of the thigh.

"Argggh!" he yelled. But where blood should've come out, there was a spout of sand, like I'd busted the side of an hourglass. It spilled into the dirt floor, and the dirt collected around his leg, almost like a cast. When the dirt fell away, the wound was gone.

He charged again. Fortunately I'd had some experience fighting giants. I dodged sideways this time and stabbed him under the arm. Riptide's blade was buried to the hilt in his ribs. That was the good news. The bad news was that it was wrenched out of my hand when the giant turned, and I was thrown across the arena, weaponless.

Antaeus bellowed in pain. I waited for him to disintegrate. No monster had ever withstood a direct hit from my sword like that. The celestial bronze blade had to be destroying his essence. But Antaeus groped for the hilt, pulled out the sword, and tossed it behind him. More sand poured from the wound, but again the earth rose up to cover him. Dirt coated his body all the way to his shoulders. As soon as the dirt spilled away, Antaeus was fine.

"Now you see why I never lose, demigod!" Antaeus gloated. "Come here and let me crush you. I'll make it quick!"

Antaeus stood between me and my sword.

Then I realized something. Antaeus' mother was Gaea, Mother Earth and the most ancient goddess of all. Antaeus' father might have been Poseidon, but Gaea was keeping him alive. I couldn't hurt him as long as he was touching the ground.

I tried to skirt around him, but Antaeus anticipated my move. He blocked my path, chuckling. He was just toying with me now. He had me cornered.

I looked up at the chains hanging from the ceiling, dangling the skulls of his enemies on hooks. Suddenly I had an idea.

I feinted to the other side. Antaeus blocked me. The crowd jeered and screamed at Antaeus to finish me off, but he was having too much fun.

"Puny boy," he said. "Not a worthy son of the sea god!"

I felt my pen return to my pocket, but Antaeus wouldn't know about that. He would think riptide was still in the dirt behind him. He would think my goal was to get my sword. It wasn't much of an advantage, but it was all I had.

I charged straight ahead, crouching low so he would think I was going to roll between his legs again. While he was stooping, ready to catch me like a grounder, I jumped for all I was worth—kicking off his forearm, scrambling up his shoulder like it was a ladder, placing my shoe on his head. He did the natural thing. He straightened up indignantly and yelled "HEY!" I pushed off, using his force to catapult me toward the ceiling. I caught the top of a chain, and the skulls and hooks jangled beneath me. I wrapped my legs around the chain, just like I used to do at the ropes course in gym class. I drew Riptide and sawed off the chain next to me.

"Come down here, coward!" Antaeus bellowed. He tried to grab me, but I was just out of reach. Hanging on for dear life, I yelled, "Come up and get me! Or are you too slow and fat?"

He howled and made another grab for me. He caught a chain and tried to pull himself up. While he was struggling, I lowered my sawed-off chain, hook first. It took me two tries, but finally I snagged Antaeus' loincloth.

"WAAA!" he yelled. Quickly I slipped the free chain through the fastening link on my own chain, pulled it taut, and secured it the best I could.

Antaeus tried to slip back to the ground, but his but stayed suspended by his loincloth. He had to hold on to the other chains with both hands to avoid getting flipped upside down. I prayed the loincloth and the chain would hold up for a few more seconds. While Antaeus cursed and flailed, I scrambled around the chains, swinging and cutting like I was some sort of crazed monkey. I made loops with hooks and metal links. I don't know how I did it.

My mom always said I have a gift for getting stuff tangled up. Plus I was desperate to save my friends. Anyway, within a couple of minutes the giant was suspended above the ground, hopelessly snarled in chains and hooks. I dropped to the floor, panting and sweaty. My hands were raw from climbing.

"Get me down!" Antaeus demanded.

"Free him!" Luke ordered. "He is our host!"

I uncapped Riptide. "I'll free him."

And I stabbed the giant in the stomach. He bellowed, and sand poured out, but he was too far up to touch the earth, and the dirt did not rise to help him.

Antaeus just dissolved, pouring out bit by bit, until there was nothing left but empty swinging chains, a really big loincloth on a hook, and a bunch of grinning skulls dancing above me like they had finally had something to smile about.

"Jackson!" Luke yelled. "I should have killed you long ago!"

"You tired," I reminded him. "Let us go, Luke. We had a sworn agreement with Antaeus. I'm the winner."

He did just what I expected. He said, "Antaeus is dead. His oath dies with him. But since I'm feeling merciful today, I'll have you killed quickly."

He pointed at Thalia. "Spare the girl. I would like to speak to her before- before our great triumph."

Thalia wrestled under the Laistrygonian's grasp and sounded like she was shouting obscenities at Luke.

Every monster in the audience drew a weapon or extended its claws. We were trapped. Hopelessly outnumbered.

Then I felt something in my pocket—a freezing sensation, growing colder and colder. The dog whistle. My fingers closed around it. For days I'd avoided using Quintus' gift. It had to be a trap. But now…I had no choice. I took it out of my pocket and blew. It made no audible sound as I shattered into shards of ice, melting in my hand.

Luke laughed. "What was that supposed to do?"

From behind me came a surprised yelp. The Laistrygonian giant who'd been guarding Thalia flew past me and smashed into the wall.

"_AROOOOF!_"

Kelli the _empousa _screamed as a five-hundred-pound black mastiff picked her up like a chew toy and tossed her through the air, straight into Luke's lap.

Mrs. O'Leary snarled, and the two dracaenae guards backed away. For a moment the monsters in the audience were caught completely by surprise.

"Let's go!" I yelled at my friends. "Heel, Mrs. O'Leary!"

"The far exit!" Rachel cried. "That's the right way!"

Ethan Nakamura took his cue. Together we raced across the arena and out the far exit, Mrs. O'Leary right behind us. As we ran, I could hear the disorganized sounds of an entire army trying to jump out of the stands and follow us.

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**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians' quotes and plot line. I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians characters. I am not Rick Riordan.**

**This is my fourth FanFic although my first one got reported for MST and the second one I put up for adoption. The third one is complete.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**Thanks for reading my story and if you have any comments or suggestions, review or private message me. If you do not like Perlia do not flame by sending me messages saying you don't like Perlia and random stuff like that.**

**Just in case you were wondering, the length of an update is according to the length of the chapters in the real book.**

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear. It would be awesome if you guys could tell what mistakes there are so that I can fix them to make the story clearer. Thanks.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**A HEADS UP: Updating will be more spaced out from now on because of the tons of work I have to do. Peace.**


	16. We Meet the Automaton Quintus

**Hey everyone,**

**Would all of you readers be so kind as to go to my profile page and vote on the poll for my other story _On the Run_. I just wanted to know who you want Percy to eventually gain a crush on in the story. Thanks so much for those who do vote. Also, I would like some ideas of where Percy should go from chapter three. Also, tell me what age you want other characters are (e.g. Annabeth is same age as Percy, Thalia is one year older/same age, Luke is two years older, Clarisse is one year older, Travis and Connor are one year older and younger respectively).**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**

**Disclaimer: I'm not Rick Riordan. I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I don't own the story plot.**

* * *

Chapter 16: Meeting the Automaton Quintus

**Thalia's POV**

"This way!" Rachel yelled.

"Are you sure?" Percy asked.

I added in, "Because the last time you said that, we were led right into that arena."

"It was the way you needed to go," Rachel said. "And so is this. Come on!"

Percy and I were hesitant, but we ran along with her regardless. Rachel seemed to know exactly where she was going. She whipped around corners and didn't even hesitate at crossroads. Once she said, "Duck!" and we all crouched as a huge axe swung over our heads. Then we kept going as if nothing had happened.

I lost track of how many turns we made. We didn't stop to rest until we came to a room the size of a gymnasium with old marble columns holding up the roof. We tried to stay as quiet as we could to see if there were any sounds of pursuit, but we heard nothing. We'd lost Luke and his minions in the maze.

The big, friendly hellhound wasn't there with us, but I hoped she didn't get lost or anything because Quintus would probably get mad at us. Then again, he was probably the traitor.

Ethan collapsed on the floor. "You people are crazy." He pulled off his helmet. His face gleamed with sweat.

He stared at me with a little bit of interest which creeped me out. "So you were the one that got turned into a tree and caused a lot of commotion at camp."

I looked at his eye patch. It was frayed around the edges and it was faded. "What happened to your eye?" I changed the subject.

Ethan looked away, causing a silence to be spread among us.

"You must be the half-blood from my dream," Percy said. "The one Luke's people cornered. It wasn't Nico after all."

"Who's Nico?"

"Nothing," I said quickly. "Why were you trying to join up with the wrong side?"

Ethan sneered. "There's no right side. The gods never cared about us. Your dad turned you into a tree. Didn't you want to die?"

I was kinda shocked that he knew that, but I quickly put on a poker face. "So, what. I got a second chance."

Ethan struggled to his feet. "I'm not going to argue with you. Thanks for the help, but I'm out of here."

"We're going after Daedalus," Percy said. "Come with us. Once we get through, you'd be welcome back at camp."

"You really _are_crazy if you think Daedalus will help you."

"He has to," I said. "We'll make him listen."

Ethan snorted. "Yeah, well. Good luck with that."

Percy grabbed his arm. "You're just going to head off alone into the maze? That's suicide."

He looked at Percy and seemed to be shaking with anger. "You shouldn't have spared me, Jackson. Mercy has no place in this war."

The he ran off into the darkness, back the way we'd come.

HORIZONTAL

Percy, Rachel and I were so exhausted we made camp right there in the huge room. I found some scrap wood and we started a fire. Shadows danced off the columns rising around us like trees.

"Something was wrong with Luke," I said, poking at the fire with a stick. "Did you notice the way he was acting?"

"He looked pretty pleased to me," Percy said. "Like he'd spent a nice day torturing heroes."

"No. Remember when he first saw me? He looked confused. Then he said he wanted to talk to me."

"Probably, _'Hi, Thalia! Want to make out while your friends get killed?'_"

"Like I'd make out with him." I scrunched my face up.

"You never know..."

"What is wrong with you?"

"I have no idea."

I sighed. "So which way now, Rach?"

Rachel didn't respond right away. She seemed a lot quieter now, like the whole experience was overwhelming for her. She probably felt the same way as I did dying on Half-Blood Hill. She'd burned the tip of a stick in the fire and was using it to draw ash figures on the floor, images of the monsters we'd seen. With a few strokes, she drew the exact details of a _dracaena_perfectly.

"We'll follow the path," she said. "The brightness on the floor."

I looked at the ground. "What brightness again?"

"There's just something there. I can see it. I thought you said demigods can see through the Mist?"

"Not always," Percy responded. "Last year, the Mist covered me from seeing that Tyson was a Cyclops. So for almost one whole school year, I thought he was a homeless kid who was giant for our age."

"Yeah."

Rachel was really quiet now.

Percy's expression softened. "Look, I'm sorry I got you involved in this."

"No, you were right," she said. "I can see the path. I can't _exactly_explain it, but it's really clear." She pointed toward the other end of the room, into the darkness. "The workshop is that way. The heart of the maze. We're very close now. I don't know why the path led through that arena. I- I'm sorry about that. I thought you were going to die. You too, Thalia."

She sounded really traumatized and close to crying.

"Hey, I'm usually about to die," Percy promised. "Don't feel bad."

I smacked his head.

Rachel chuckled quietly. "So you do this every summer? Fight monsters? Save the world? Don't you ever get to do just, you know, normal stuff?"

"Between this past winter and now," I said. "That's the only normal time that we've had in our lives."

"Except for that hellhound attack."

"Yeah... scratch what I just said. We've never had something like a normal life. Close, but not exactly."

Percy nodded. "Half-bloods get used to it, I guess. Or maybe not used to it, but..." He shifted uncomfortably. "What about you? What do you do normally?"

Rachel shrugged. "I paint. I read a lot."

"Read?" I asked. She nodded. "You sound like one of our friends, Annabeth. She's the daughter of Athena."

"You guys don't read?"

"Dyslexia." I poked the dying fire.

"What about your family?" Percy asked.

Rachel tensed slightly, but enough so that Percy and I could notice. We glanced at each other quickly, like we had a telepathic connection.

"Oh...they're just, you know, family."

"You said they wouldn't notice if you were gone," Percy said.

She set down her drawing stick. "Wow, I'm really tired. I may sleep for a while, okay?"

"Oh, sure. Sorry if..."

But Rachel was already curling up, using her backpack as a pillow. She closed her eyes and lay very still, but I got the feeling she wasn't really asleep.

Percy opened his mouth again, but I stopped him. "Let her rest. She's traumatized."

He nodded. "I'll take first watch. You sleep."

"Okay." I lay down, feeling tired. I was so exhausted I fell asleep as soon as my eyes closed.

HORIZONTAL

In my dreams I heard laughter. Cold, harsh laughter, like knives being sharpened.

I was standing at the edge of a pit in the depths of Tartarus. Below me the darkness seethed like inky soup.

"So close to your own destruction, little hero," the voice of Kronos chided. "And still you are blind."

The voice was different than it had been before. It seemed almost physical now, as if it were speaking from a real body instead of…whatever he'd been in his chopped-up condition.

"I have much to thank you and Jackson for," Kronos said. "You have assured my rise."

The shadows in the cavern became deeper and heavier. I tried to back away from the edge of the pit, but it was like swimming through oil. Time slowed down. My breathing almost stopped.

"A favor," Kronos said. "The Titan lord always pays his debts. Perhaps a glimpse of the friends you abandoned…"

The darkness rippled around me, and I was in a different cave.

"Hurry!" Tyson said. He came barreling into the room. Grover stumbled along behind him. There was a rumbling in the corridor they'd come from, and the head of an enormous snake burst into the cave. I mean, this thing was so big its body barely fit through the tunnel. Its scales were coppery. Its head was diamond-shaped like a rattler, and its yellow eyes glowed with hatred. When it opened its mouth, its fangs were as tall as Tyson.

It lashed at Grover, but Grover scampered out of the way. The snake got a mouthful of dirt. Tyson picked up a boulder and threw it at the monster, smacking it between the eyes, but the snake just recoiled and hissed.

"It's going to eat you!" Grover yelled at Tyson.

"How do you know?"

"It just told me! Run!"

Tyson darted to one side, but the snake used its head like a club and knocked him off his feet.

"No!" Grover yelled. But before Tyson could regain his balance, the snake wrapped around him and started to squeeze.

Tyson strained, pushing with all his immense strength, but the snake squeezed tighter. Grover frantically hit the snake with his reed pipes, but he might as well have been banging on a stone wall.

The whole room shook as the snake flexed its muscles, shuddering to overcome Tyson's strength.

Grover began to play with pipes, and stalactites rained down from the ceiling. The whole cave seemed about to collapse…

HORIZONTAL

I woke with Percy shaking my shoulder. "Thals, wake up!"

"Tyson- Tyson's in trouble!" I exclaimed.

"What? We have to help him then!"

Then I noticed that the room was rumbling. "Earthquake, gods damn it! Rachel!"

Her eyes opened instantly. She grabbed her pack, and the three of us ran. We were almost to the far tunnel when a column next to us groaned and buckled. We kept going as a hundred tons of marble crashed down behind us.

We made it to the corridor and turned just in time to see the other columns toppling. A cloud of white dust billowed over us, and we kept running.

"You know what?" I said. "I like this way after all."

Percy nodded in assent.

It wasn't long before we saw light up ahead- like regular electric lighting.

"There," Rachel said.

We followed her into a stainless steel hallway, like I imagined they'd have on a space station or something. Fluorescent lights glowed from the ceiling. The floor was a metal grate.

We were so used to being in the darkness that we had to squint. All of us looked pale in the harsh illumination.

"This way," Rachel said, beginning to run. "We're close!"

"Who ever thought that Athena's kids could be wrong about something?" I said.

Just then, we arrived at a set of metal double doors. Inscribed in the steel, at eye level, was a large blue Greek delta.

"We're here," Rachel announced. "Daedalus' workshop."

HORIZONTAL

I pressed the symbol on the doors and they hissed open.

"Athena may want to get her children checked," Percy said.

I stifled a laugh as we walked inside.

The first thing that struck me was the daylight—blazing sun coming through giant windows. Not the kind of thing you expect in the heart of a dungeon. The workshop was like an artist's studio, with thirty-foot ceilings and industrial lighting, polished stone floors, and workbenches along with windows. A spiral staircase led up to a second-story loft. Half a dozen easels displayed hand-drawn diagrams for buildings and machines that looked like Leonardo da Vinci sketches. Several laptop computers were scattered around on the tables. Glass jars of green oil—Greek fire—lined one shelf. There were inventions, too—weird metal machines I couldn't make sense of. One was a bronze chair with a bunch of electrical wires attached to it, like some kind of torture device. In another corner stood a giant metal egg about the size of a man. There was a grandfather clock that appeared to be made entirely of glass, so you could see all the gears turning. And hanging on the wall were several sets of bronze and silver wings.

"Wow," I said. "He's definitely a genius. Look at all of this stuff."

"And an artist," Rachel said in amazement. "These wings are amazing!"

The wings looked more advanced than the ones I'd seen in my dreams. The feathers were more tightly interwoven. Instead of wax seals, self-adhesive strips ran down the sides.

I kept my hand on Aegis. Apparently Daedalus was not at home, but the workshop looked like it had been recently used. The laptops were running their screen savers. A half-eaten blueberry muffin and a coffee cup sat on a workbench.

Percy and I walked to the window. The view outside was amazing. I recognized the Rocky Mountains in the distance. We were high up in the foothills, at least five hundred feet, and down below a valley spread out, filled with a tumbled collection of red mesas and boulders and spires of stone. It looked like some huge kid had been building a toy city with skyscraper-size blocks, and then decided to knock it over.

"Where are we?" I wondered.

"Colorado Springs," A voice said behind us. "The Garden of the Gods."

Standing on the spiral staircase above us, with his weapon drawn, was our missing sword master Quintus.

HORIZONTAL

"What are you doing here?" Percy asked.

"What does it look like I am doing?" he said.

"Here to kill us?" Percy retorted.

Quintus came down the stairs, holding his sword at his side. He was dressed in jeans and boots and his counselor's T-shirt from Camp Half-Blood, which seemed like an insult now that we knew he was a spy.

"You think I'm an agent of Kronos," he said. "That I work for Luke."

Percy and I kept our mouths shut.

"Well, you're wrong," he said. "I only work for myself."

"Luke mentioned you," Percy said. "Geryon knew about you, too. You've been to his ranch."

"Of course," he said. "I've been almost everywhere. Even here."

Okay, I'm no daughter of Athena, but my brain was putting the puzzle pieces together like Annabeth would.

He walked past us and stood by the window. "The view changes from day to day," he mused. "It's always some place high up. Yesterday it was from a skyscraper overlooking Manhattan. The day before that, there was a beautiful view of Lake Michigan. But it keeps  
coming back to the Garden of the Gods. I think the Labyrinth likes it here. A fitting name, I suppose."

"You've been here before," I said.

"Oh, yes."

"That's an illusion out there?" I asked. "A projection or something?"

"No," Rachel murmured. "It's real. We're really in Colorado."

Quintus regarded her. "You have clear vision, don't you? you remind me of another mortal girl I once knew. Another princess who came to grief."

"Princess?" I asked.

"Oh, yes. Ariana was it? No, Ariadne. That's the girl," Quintus said. He stared at us like he was waiting for us to get it. I obviously didn't, but realization hit Percy like a peregrine falcon diving to the ground.

"You're Daedalus."

**Percy's POV**

I knew I was right the moment I said it. Thalia was staring at Quintus with wide-eyes. I don't know if she had the same dreams as I did, but I remembered that it was Daedalus who "corrupted" Minos' daughter, Ariadne.

"Correct, Mr. Jackson," Quintus said.

"But how can you be an inventor and a swordsman?" I said.

"When you are thousands of years old, you pick up on many other habits," he said. "I am both an inventor and a swordsman. And an architect. And a scholar. I also play basketball pretty well for a guy who didn't start until he was two thousand years old. A real artist must be good at many things."

"That's true," Rachel said. "Like I can paint with my feet as well as my hands."

"You see?" Quintus said. "A girl of many talents."

"But you don't even look like Daedalus," Thalia protested. "I saw him in a dream."

I turned grimly to Thalia. "He's an automaton. He made himself a new body."

"Finally," Quintus smiled, "the truth."

"W-What?"

"Do you know what Quintus means in Latin, my dear?"

"Uh...no."

"Fifth," I blurted out. When Thalia and Rachel gave me a strange look, I said, "Chiron taught me Latin for a year."

"Yes, Mr. Jackson. This is my fifth body." The swordsman held out his forearm. He pressed his elbow and part of his wrist popped open- a rectangular hatch in his skin. Underneath, bronze gears whirred. Wires glowed.

"That's amazing," Rachel gasped.

"That's creepy," I said.

"How?" Thalia asked.

"It's...complicated, but I assure you, it's still me. I'm still very much Daedalus. My mother, Athena, makes sure I never forget that." He tugged back the collar of his shirt. At the base of his neck was the mark I'd seen before- the dark shape of a bird grafted to his skin.

"A murderer's brand," I said. "For your nephew, Perdix. The boy you pushed off the tower."

Quintus' face darkened. "I did not push him. I simply-"

"Made him lose his balance," I said. "Let him die."

Quintus gazed out the windows at the purple mountains. "I regret what I did, Percy. I was angry and bitter. But I cannot take it back, and Athena never lets me forget. As Perdix died, she turned him into a small bird—a partridge. She branded the bird's shape on my neck as a reminder. No matter what body I take, the brand appears on my skin."

I looked into his eyes, and I realized he was the same man I'd seen in my dreams. His face might be totally different, but the same soul was in there— the same intelligence and all the sadness.

"You really are Daedalus," I decided. "But why did you come to the camp? Why spy on us?"

"To see if your camp was worth saving. Luke had given me one story. I preferred to come to my own conclusions."

"So you _have_talked to Luke."

"Oh, yes. Several times. He is quite persuasive."

"But you've also seen the camp," Thalia said. "So you know we need your help. You can't let Luke through the maze."

Daedalus set his sword on the workbench. "The maze is no longer mine to control, daughter of Zeus. I created it, yes. In fact, it is tied to my life force. But I have allowed it to live and grow on its own. That is the price I paid for privacy."

"Privacy from what?"

"The gods," he said. "And death. I have been alive for two millennia, my dear, hiding from death."

"But how can you hide from Hades?" I asked. "I mean…Hades has the Furies."

"They do not know everything," he said. "Or see everything. You have encountered them, Percy. You know this is true. A clever man can hide quite a long time, and I have buried myself very deep. Only my greatest enemy has kept after me, and even him I have thwarted."

"You mean Minos," I said.

Daedalus nodded. "He hunts for me relentlessly. Now that he is a judge of the dead, he would like nothing better than for me to come before him so he can punish me for my crimes. After the daughters of Cocalus killed him, Minos' ghost began torturing me in my dreams. He promised that he would hunt me down. I did the only thing I could. I retreated from the world  
completely. I descended into my Labyrinth. I decided this would be my ultimate accomplishment: I would cheat death."

"And you did," Thalia said, impressed, "for two thousand years."

Just then a loud bark echoed from the corridor. I heard the _ba-BUMP, ba- BUMP, ba-BUMP_of huge paws, and Mrs. O'Leary bounded into the workshop. She licked my face once, then almost knocked Daedalus over with an enthusiastic leap.

"There is my old friend!" Daedalus said, scratching Mrs. O'Leary behind the ears. "My only companion all these long lonely years."

"You let her save me," I said. "That whistle actually worked."

Daedalus nodded. "Of course it did, Percy. You have a good heart. And I knew Mrs. O'Leary liked you. I wanted to help you. Perhaps I—I felt guilty, as well."

"Guilty about what?"

"That your quest would be in vain."

"But you can still help us," Thalia said.

"Yeah. If we get Ariadne's string, Luke can't get it," I said.

"Yes…the string. I told Luke that the eyes of a clear-sighted mortal are the best guide, but he did not trust me. He was so focused on the idea of a magic item. And the string works. It's not as accurate as your mortal friend here, perhaps. But good enough. Good enough."

"Where is it?" I asked.

"With Luke," Daedalus said sadly. "I'm sorry, but you are several hours too late."

With a chill I realized why Luke had been in such a good mood in the arena. He'd already gotten the string from Daedalus. His only obstacle had been the arena master, and I'd taken care of that for him by killing Antaeus.

"Kronos promised me freedom," Quintus said. "Once Hades is overthrown, he will set me over the Underworld. I will reclaim my son Icarus. I will make things right with poor young Perdix. I will see Minos' soul cast into Tartarus, where it cannot bother me again. And I will no  
longer have to run from death."

"You believed his lies?" Thalia asked. "You're going to let Luke destroy your camp, kill hundreds of demigods, and then attack Olympus? You're going to bring down the entire world so you can get what you want?"

"Your cause is doomed. I saw that as soon as I began to work at your camp. There is no way you can hold back the might of Kronos."

"Except for the prophecy," I muttered.

"I am doing what I must, my dear. The offer was too sweet to refuse. I'm sorry."

I glared at the floor and Thalia kicked an easel in frustration. "Why does Kronos have to be so influential? Why does he have to feed people lies?" Thalia punched through another easel.

Remind me never to get Thalia mad...

"And you're a son of Athena?" Thalia turned to Daedalus. "Are you sure that you are one? Because I thought children of Athena were supposed to be _wise_. I may not be a child of Athena, but I don't think destroying Western Civilization to get your son and nephew back is _wise_."

Instead of getting mad, Daedalus hung his head. "You should go warn your camp. Now that Luke has the string-"

Suddenly Mrs. O'Leary pricked up her ears.

"Someone's coming!" Rachel warned.

The doors of the workshop burst open, and Nico was pushed inside, his hands in chains. Then Kelli and two Laistrygonians marched in behind him, followed by the ghost of Minos. He looked almost solid now—a pale bearded king with cold eyes and tendrils of Mist coiling off his robes.

He fixed his gaze on Daedalus. "There you are, my old friend."

Daedalus's jaw clenched. He looked at Kelli. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Luke sends his compliments," Kelli said. "He thought you might like to see your old employer Minos."

"This was not part of our agreement," Daedalus said.

"No indeed," Kelli said. "But we already have what we want from you, and we have other agreements to honor. Minos required something else from us, in order to turn over this fine young demigod." She ran a finger under Nico's chin. "He'll be quite useful. And all Minos asked in return was your head, old man."

Daedalus paled. "Treachery."

"Get used to it," Kelli said.

"Nico," I said. "Are you okay?"

He nodded morosely. "I—I'm sorry, Percy. Minos told me you were in danger. He convinced me to go back into the maze."

"You were trying to _help_us?"

"I was tricked," he said. "He tricked all of us."

I glared at Kelli. "Where's Luke? Why isn't he here?"

The she-demon smiled like we were sharing a private joke. "Luke is…busy. He is preparing for the assault. But don't worry. We have more friends on the way. And in the meantime, I think I'll have a wonderful snack!" Her hands changed into claws. Her hair burst into flame and her legs turned to their true form—one donkey leg, one bronze.

"Percy," Rachel whispered, "the wings. Do you think—"

"Get them," I said. "I'll try to buy you some time."

And with that, all Hades broke loose. Aegis spiraled into action and Thalia opened her mace canister. Riptide was out in a flash and we charged at Kelli. The giants came right at Daedalus, but Mrs. O'Leary leaped to his defense. Nico got pushed to the ground and struggled with his chains while the spirit of Minos wailed, "KIll the inventor! Kill him!"

Rachel grabbed the wings off the wall. Nobody paid her any attention. Kelli slashed at Thalia. Thalia retaliated with a sickening _CRACKLE!_A whole row of paper work was blown to bits. I tried to get to Kelli, but the demon was quick and deadly. She turned over tables, smashed inventions, and wouldn't let us get close. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mrs. O'Leary chomp her fangs into a giant's arm. He wailed in pain and flung her around, trying to shake her. Daedalus grabbed for his sword, but the second giant smashed the workbench with his fist, and the sword went flying. A clay jar of Greek fire broke on the floor and began to burn, green flames spreading quickly.

"To me!" Minos cried. "Spirits of the dead!" He raised his ghostly hands and the air began to hum.

"No!" Nico cried. He was on his feet now. He'd somehow managed to remove his shackles.

"You do not control me, young fool," Minos sneered. "All this time, I have been controlling you! A soul for a soul, yes. But it is not your sister who will return from the dead. It is I, as soon as I slay the inventor!"

Spirits began to appear around Minos—shimmering forms that slowly multiplied, solidifying into Cretan soldiers.

"I am the son of Hades," Nico insisted. "Be gone!"

Minos laughed. "You have no power over me. I am the lord of spirits! The ghost king!"

"No." Nico drew his sword. "_I_am."

He stabbed his black blade into the floor, and it cleaved through the stone like butter.

"Never!" Minos's form rippled. "I will not—"

The ground rumbled. The windows cracked and shattered to pieces, letting in a blast of fresh air. A fissure opened in the stone floor of the workshop, and Minos and all his spirits were sucked into the void with a horrible wail.

The bad news: the fight was still going on all around us, and I let myself get distracted. Kelli pounced on me so fast I had no time to defend myself. My sword skittered away and I hit my head hard on a worktable as I fell. My eyesight went fuzzy. I couldn't raise my arms.

Kelli laughed. "You will taste wonderful!"

She bared her fangs. Then suddenly she burst into golden dust and sprinkled over top of me.

Thalia helped me up. I still felt dizzy, but we had no time to lose. Mrs. O'Leary and Daedalus were still locked in combat with the giants, and I could hear shouting in the tunnel. More monsters were coming toward the workshop.

"We have to help Daedalus!" I said.

"No time," Rachel said. "Too many coming!"

She'd already fitted herself with wings and was working on Nico, who looked pale and sweaty from his struggle with Minos. The wings grafted instantly to his back and arms.

"Now you!" she told me.

In seconds, Nico, Thalia, Rachel and I had fitted ourselves with coppery wings. Already I could feel myself being lifted by the wind coming through the window. Greek fire was burning the tables and furniture, spreading up the circular stairs.

"Daedalus!" I yelled. "Come on!"

He was cut in a hundred places—but he was bleeding golden oil instead of blood. He'd found his sword and was using part of a smashed table as a shield against the giants. "I won't leave Mrs. O'Leary!" he said. "Go!"

There was no time to argue. Even if we stayed, I wasn't sure we could help. "Good luck!"

Daedalus just nodded and continued to fight.

"None of us know how to fly!" Nico protested.

"Great time to find out," I said. And together, the four of us jumped out the window into open sky.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians' quotes and plot line. I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians characters. I am not Rick Riordan.**

**This is my fourth FanFic although my first one got reported for MST and the second one I put up for adoption. The third one is complete.**

**Go to The SilverEyed Angel's page to ask about the continuation of the Pertemis story.**

**Thanks for reading my story and if you have any comments or suggestions, review or private message me. If you do not like Perlia do not flame by sending me messages saying you don't like Perlia and random stuff like that.**

**Just in case you were wondering, the length of an update is according to the length of the chapters in the real book.**

**Apologies if there are any grammar mistakes out there that make the story unclear. It would be awesome if you guys could tell what mistakes there are so that I can fix them to make the story clearer. Thanks.**

**SharkAttack719 out. :)**

**A HEADS UP: Updating will be more spaced out from now on because of the tons of work I have to do. Peace.**


	17. Happy New Year

**Hi guys,**

**Sorry if you thought this was another chapter, but I just wanted to say Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year to all of you. Maybe some of you, not all, have been reading my new story, but I would like to...promote it because it is more of an original. I understand if you do not like that story, but I'm trying out something new (and the writing will be much better than the horrible Pertemis story that I put out a couple months ago). Plus, you guys can help me decide on the plot and twists. I completely understand if you are upset with me for not updating in a while, but I've been working on that story more. Also, shout outs to those who have already read the story.**

**Happy New Years,  
Sharky**


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